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Is Free Public Transportation Feasible in Korea?

2014; RELX Group (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês

10.2139/ssrn.4206151

1556-5068

C.K. Kim,

Transportation Planning and Optimization

Public transportation is defined as a shared passenger transport service with a scheduled timetable and specific route that is available for use by the general public. Public transportation modes include buses, metro (subway), trams, trolleybuses, ferries etc. and are distinct from modes such as taxicabs, carpools or hired buses, which are not shared among strangers without private arrangement. Public transportation between cities is dominated by intercity (express) buses, intercity rail, and airlines.Public transportation provides the general public the basic mobility services to employment, community resources, medical care, and recreational opportunities in communities. People who do not have access to a private motor vehicle such as young students, the aged, the poor, and people banned from driving use public transportation for their travel. Some people also choose to use public transportation since it is cheaper than the cost of driving a car.Public transport services can be operated and managed by profit-driven companies or partially or fully funded by government subsidies. In many Asian countries, public transportation services are predominantly run by privately owned profit-driven companies. In North America, public transportation services are provided by municipal transit authorities. In European countries, public transport operations are often outsourced to private transport operators.Most public transportation services are financed with the farebox revenue from the fare paying passengers and/or government subsidies via tax revenues. Public transportation fares basically depend on the traveled distance or zones. Tickets purchased may be validated either by pay-per-ride systems or proof-of-payment fare-collection systems. A proof-of-payment system allows passengers to ride the vehicles without showing the ticket, but riders may or may not be controlled by ticket inspectors who can levy steep fines when they catch passengers without proper proof of payment. Both fare-collection systems may generate the cost associated with collecting, accounting, and enforcing fare payment that is insufficiently covered by the farebox revenue.Several European cities and some smaller towns around the world have converted their public transportation services, especially bus networks, to a fare-free system. Fare-free public transportation services are funded fully by heavy government subsidies or commercial sponsorship by businesses.In the past June local elections in Korea, some candidates put forward campaign pledges such as free bus services, which have been questioned much in terms of feasibility. This article aims to discuss the feasibility of providing free public transportation service in Korean cities by overviewing the cases of free public transportation services around the world.