Ulsan City announces first-stage city bus route reorganization

Ulsan Metropolitan City has announced a first-stage reorganization of its city bus system, effective October 3. The plan involves deploying 15 additional vehicles to address citizen inconveniences following a major route overhaul last year.

Key changes include the restoration of the 123 bus route, which will use five vehicles to connect Cheonsang and Guyeong to Taehwa-dong, Seongnam-dong, Myeongchon, Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Bangeojin. This move aims to improve commuting convenience to the Dong-gu area. Additionally, the 126 route will increase from six to eight vehicles, reducing average dispatch intervals from 44 to 33 minutes. The 743 route will also expand to eight vehicles and adjust its path to restore functions previously served by the former 307 route.

Express bus routes will undergo adjustments to improve stability and reduce congestion. For instance, the 1154 route will detour through Sinbok Junction to distribute demand from the 1224 route, and the 1413 route will be rerouted via the Ulsan Bridge. The city also incorporated student suggestions from the ‘Big Dipper Bus Project’ by adjusting departure times for the Buk-gu 12 route to better serve high school students.

Ulsan plans to conduct a second phase of improvements in December based on continued analysis of transit card data and passenger demand. The city is also holding discussions regarding the potential transition to a public bus management system.