'Rapid, Convenient Metropolitan
Transportation Services'

Gov't handles transportation demands by continuously expanding metropolitan transportation facilities and revamping systems

Kwon Oh-sung, director of Metropolitan Transportation Policy Team at the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, was one of the speakers during the Policy Debate on Road/Transportation, held as part of the side events of the 2nd ROTREX 2007. The debate was held under the theme of "Future Technology Development and the Direction Changes of National Trunk Networks"- Ed.

The government has established an institutional framework for the implementation of metropolitan transportation policies by enacting the Special Act on Metropolitan Transportation Management of Large Cities in 1997, a move designed to solve the traffic problems of metropolitan cities in a wider perspective and in a more efficient fashion.
It has also revamped related systems, including the Special Act and its implementation decrees, in an effort to proactively cope with such changes in the metropolitan transportation environment of metropolitan city areas as an increase in travel distances, caused by the expansion of urban areas arising from the development of new cities and the pursuit of recreational pastimes.
The Ministry of Construction and Transportation (MOCT) has contributed to easing traffic problems and improving transportation services as it has smoothly coped with transportation demands by continuously expanding metropolitan transportation facilities and revamping systems with the goal of realizing rapid, convenient metropolitan transportation service everywhere.
First, the government is to establish a 20-year basic plan on metropolitan transportation, calling for the formulation of the principal directions of transportation management of large metropolitan cities, including the expansion and improvement of metropolitan transportation facilities and a five-year metropolitan transportation implementation plan within this year.
It is seeking to prepare steps designed to manage the traffic of large-scale housing/ industrial complex development projects before finalizing their development plans. In particular, the government plans to come up with elaborate traffic steps, including the introduction of a plan under which metropolitan transportation systems will be taken into account before the designation of new city development areas.
MOCT will devote itself to building up infrastructure by implementing metropolitan transportation projects for large metropolitan cities on a continuous basis. In an effort to ease bottlenecks in the Seoul metropolitan area, it has been undertaking projects to build 44 metropolitan roads with a combined length of 197.4 km, including the Dongbu Trunk Road. Out of the total, 17 roads with a combined length of 50.3 km have already been completed and the remaining 27 will be completed by 2011. Urban railway systems with a combed length of 622.1 km, including the planned 25.5 km-long, Seoul Subway No. 9, between Gimpo Airport and Banpo, will be built by 2019 in consideration of the expansion of human-oriented railway convenience facilities for the purpose of safety and in the interests of the underprivileged. MOCT also plans to build up the foundation for the introduction of such pilot projects as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), light railways and magnetic levitation train. BRT projects to link a 14.8 km-long road between Hanam and Gunja and an 18.2 km-long road between Cheolla and Hwagok are planned, while a 23.5 km-long light railway project to connect Busan and Gimhae is already under way. Such magnetic levitation transit systems as an automated guideway transit with a speed of 110 km per hour are also under development.
Additionally, MOCT will push ahead with such infrastructure expansion projects as the Gyeongbu/Honam High-Speed Railways, Incheon International Airport Phase II in order to expand the growth potential of our national economy and beef up our national competitiveness as well as policies designed to realize the goal of being a logistics powerhouse of Northeast Asia while endeavoring to create a pleasant and safe living environment and provide convenient transportation services. nw

Kwon Oh-sung, director of Metropolitan Transportation Policy Team at the Ministry of Construction