Busan Metropolitan City Government to Pilot 'Cashless Buses' Starting in October

[Financial News] Busan Metropolitan City Government announced on the 31st that it will run a three-month pilot program for 'cashless buses' starting in October to respond to the decline in cash use and the shift toward public transportation centered on transit cards.
Recently, the share of passengers paying cash on city buses has continued to fall, but maintaining and managing cash fare boxes, as well as counting and handling cash revenue, still requires ongoing costs and manpower.
Accordingly, the city will pilot cashless buses on routes with low cash usage. 
The pilot will cover 542 buses on 35 routes, or about 20% of all city buses. The routes were selected mainly from seat-bus lines and those with relatively low cash usage.
The city plans to conduct a comprehensive analysis of passenger inconvenience, the use of alternative payment methods by cash-paying riders, feedback from drivers and operators, and the number of complaints received. After making necessary improvements, it will expand the program citywide.
In particular, minimizing inconvenience for digitally vulnerable groups, including older adults, will be treated as the top priority. The city will also work to secure alternative payment methods and carry out advance publicity.
To ensure that passengers carrying only cash are not unable to board, the buses will operate on the principle of 'priority boarding,' and riders will be able to pay the fare by bank transfer after boarding.
The city also plans to launch a 'transit card distribution campaign' by visiting traditional markets and other areas with large elderly populations. It will intensify promotion through a range of media, including posters inside and outside buses and newspapers, so that residents can fully understand the pilot routes and how to use them.

[email protected] Kwon Byung-seok Reporter