Incheon Metropolitan City Government to Support Passenger-Ferry Fares for Soldiers, Police Officers and Firefighters in Island Areas

【Financial News Incheon = Reporter Han Gap-su】 Incheon Metropolitan City Government will ease the passenger-ferry transportation costs of soldiers, civilian military employees, police officers, firefighters and public health doctors working in the frontline island areas of the West Sea.
Incheon Metropolitan City Government announced on the 17th that it would expand eligibility for the ‘Incheon i Bada Pass’ to field workers stationed in island areas. The city will implement the partially revised enforcement rules for its ordinance on support for passenger-ferry fares and other costs in Incheon’s island regions on the 21st, when they are promulgated.
Accordingly, eligible passengers will receive support for the amount exceeding the 1,500-won city-bus base fare, calculated from the total of the regular fare, fuel surcharge and passenger-terminal usage fee on the day of boarding.
Until now, Incheon residents could use coastal passenger ferries for 1,500 won one way through the ‘Incheon i Bada Pass.’ However, professional military personnel and others from outside the region who were not registered as residents of Incheon were not eligible for the benefit.
The policy improvement follows an issue raised about the burden of passenger-ferry fares on troops stationed on the islands during the President’s visit to the Yeon-Pyeong Unit in June. Reflecting opinions gathered at the site, Incheon Metropolitan City Government completed the relevant rule revisions in just two months.
The expanded support will cover not only professional military personnel but also civilian military employees, police officers, firefighters and public health doctors. This will help reduce transportation costs for personnel responsible for security, public safety, disaster response and public healthcare in island areas.
Incheon Metropolitan City Government expects approximately 1,700 field workers in island areas to receive the same level of maritime transportation cost savings as Incheon residents under the measure.
Support for island residents and people with ties to the islands is also being expanded. Since July 1, the 1,500-won fare has also applied to people who moved away from the islands and their families, as well as other eligible persons who either have a registered domicile on an Incheon island or were registered residents there for at least 10 years.
Mayor Park Chan-dae said, "Special sacrifices should be met with special compensation," adding, "I find it meaningful that we can provide tangible benefits to field workers responsible for national security, public safety and public healthcare in the frontline island areas."
[email protected] Han Gap-su Reporter