Seoul Expands 'Scooter-Free Streets' to Five Locations, Including the Daechi-dong Academy District

[Financial News] The number of 'scooter-free streets' in Seoul will be expanded from the existing two to five. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 3rd that it will additionally designate three locations as 'scooter-free streets': the Daechi-dong Academy District in Gangnam-gu; the pedestrian walkway at Wirye Transit Mall in Songpa-gu; and Yeonsinnae Rodeo Street in Eunpyeong-gu.
Previously, the Seoul Metropolitan Government designated Hongik University Red Road in Mapo-gu and Banpo Academy District in Seocho-gu as scooter-free streets last May and has been conducting a pilot operation. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is transitioning the two pilot locations to official operation and, starting on the 30th, will operate five locations in Seoul as scooter-free streets.
In a survey conducted from June to August targeting 267 residents of the new target areas, 95% supported the expansion of scooter-free streets. By region, all 70 residents in Songpa-gu supported it, while 101 out of 103 residents (98.1%) in Gangnam-gu and 96 out of 108 residents (88.9%) in Eunpyeong-gu supported it.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it selected the target sites after comprehensively reviewing residents' opinions, the results of previous pilot operations, and regional pedestrian environments and safety. It also analyzed traffic accidents between pedestrians and personal mobility devices, complaints and reports of illegal parking, the operating status of shared personal mobility devices, and crowd density.
The newly designated sections are the 1,630 m Daechi-dong Academy District in Gangnam-gu, the 800 m pedestrian walkway at Wirye Transit Mall in Songpa-gu, and the 200 m Yeonsinnae Rodeo Street in Eunpyeong-gu. Consultations with relevant agencies and a traffic safety review by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency have been completed for the three new locations.
Operating hours vary according to pedestrian congestion and the characteristics of each area. The Daechi-dong Academy District operates from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., taking school and academy operating hours and travel times into account, while Yeonsinnae Rodeo Street operates from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. based on big data on pedestrian flows. The pedestrian walkway at Wirye Transit Mall operates around the clock because it is a pedestrian space where vehicle traffic is prohibited. The existing Hongik University Red Road and Banpo Academy District operate from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Anyone caught operating a personal mobility device in a restricted area will receive a fine of 30,000 won and 15 penalty points on general roads, or a fine of 60,000 won and 30 penalty points in a child protection zone. However, officers conducting enforcement on site may issue a warning instead, at their discretion.
The traffic ban applies to personal mobility devices defined under the Road Traffic Act, including electric kick scooters, electric two-wheeled self-balancing vehicles, and bicycles that can be propelled solely by an electric motor.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to conduct intensive on-site promotion for three weeks before and after the system takes effect. It will install safety signs indicating the operating sections and hours and use banners and streetlight banners to publicize the restricted areas.
During the intensive publicity period, the police station with jurisdiction will patrol the 'scooter-free streets' and focus enforcement on educating drivers who violate the rules.
Yeo Jang-kwon, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Transportation Bureau, said, "Through the pilot operation, we confirmed tangible improvements in the pedestrian environment, including reductions in the unauthorized abandonment of electric kick scooters and the risk of collisions." He added, "We will continue to operate 'scooter-free streets' by closely examining pedestrian environments and residents' opinions in each area, and work closely with the police and autonomous districts to create a Seoul where citizens can walk with peace of mind."
[email protected] Seongchorong Reporter