Choo Miae Pledges to Expand Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus to 184 Daily Runs by 2030

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gapdong] Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Miae announced an expansion plan for new Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus routes on the 20th day of her inauguration, implementing the ninth elected term's first transportation pledge. Governor Choo emphasized that the province quickly implemented residents' proposals, citing this as an example of resident-centered administration.

On the 20th afternoon, Governor Choo held a press conference at Pangyo Station East Bus Stop in Bundang-gu, Seongnam City, and announced plans to launch 5 new Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus routes, a Gyeonggi Province-style reserved-seat bus service.

The 5 routes are △Pyeongtaek Yeonhwa Elementary School (Hwayang District)~Seoul Kyoedae Station △Yangju Hoecheon Benest (Hoecheon·Okjeong New City)~Seoul Gangbyeon Station △Hwaseong Hoban Summit Dongtan (Sindong·Mokdong, etc.)~Seongnam Pangyo 2 Techno Valley △Hwaseong Jungwoe Pharmaceutical Intersection (Taean 3 District·Byeongjeom)~Pangyo 2 Techno Valley △Uiwang Indeokwon Prugio (Naeson-dong area)~Seongnam Seohyeon Station. Of the 5 new routes, 2 connect Gyeonggi Province and Seoul, while 3 connect cities and counties within the province.

Governor Choo explained the background for selecting the new routes, stating, "After carefully reviewing all route expansion proposals submitted to the Gyeonggi Preparation Committee and conducting urgent demand surveys targeting cities and counties, we decided to prioritize 5 new routes focused on areas with high resident demand and urgent need for new routes."

Governor Choo continued, "Starting with the launch of these 5 new routes, I will definitely fulfill the pledges I have made during my term. I promise to expand the current Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus, which operates only 84 runs per day, to 92 runs in the second half of this year, 122 runs in 2027, 152 runs in 2028, and finally to 184 total runs by 2030."

Governor Choo further stated, "The expansion of the Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus is the first step of the Choo Miae Gyeonggi Province administration, leading a 30-minute transformation of commuting for all residents, and I will proceed responsibly under my name as governor. Not only will I ensure urgent bus route expansion, but I will also not overlook major long-term metropolitan transportation projects such as the extension and establishment of GTX routes, which will change the macroscopic structure of Gyeonggi Province's transportation, and will certainly realize them with Choo Miae's drive."

Previously, the Gyeonggi Preparation Committee, Governor Choo's transition committee, operated a proposal board for the Comfortable G-Bus through the website from June 23 to 28 in accordance with Governor Choo's special directive, during which a total of 1,503 proposals were submitted. The province conducted urgent demand surveys among resident proposals and received routes available for opening in October. Out of 10 routes from 9 cities, 5 routes from 4 cities were finally selected based on coordination completion with other local governments and route necessity.

The Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus is a reserved-seat bus service directly designed and operated by Gyeonggi Province to quickly and conveniently connect Gyeonggi Province and major hubs in Seoul during commuting hours. The core objective is to convert the private vehicle demand of long-distance commuters to public transportation through advance reservation and express stop methods. Gyeonggi Province leases buses and operates them on a regular pass basis, promoting it as one of the practical measures for the ninth elected term's transportation pledge, "30-minute commuting transportation transformation." Currently, 24 routes of Comfortable G-Bus operate across 12 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province. Operations run on a full-seat reservation system through mobile apps, and the bus fare is 3,450 won.

Among the 5 new routes announced by Governor Choo on this day, the Pyeongtaek Hwayang District~Seoul Kyoedae Station route will have 3 buses deployed, operating 3 runs each during morning and evening commute times. The Yangju Hoecheon·Okjeong New City~Seoul Gangbyeon Station route will have 2 buses deployed, operating 2 runs during morning commute time. The remaining 3 routes will have 2 buses each, operating 2 runs during morning and evening commute times respectively, for a total of 4 daily runs.

Routes in Hwaseong and Uiwang will begin operations in October, while Pyeongtaek and Yangju routes are currently under discussion with Seoul. The province plans to begin operations immediately upon coordination completion, and is targeting October operation for the remaining 3 routes as well.

Additionally, for the phased expansion of the Gyeonggi Comfortable G-Bus, the province plans to begin reviewing new routes for next year from the end of this month, increasing daily operations from the current 84 runs to 184 runs by 2030.