Seogwipo City Tour Bus was launched about a year ago for tourists.
But it has been used as a carrier for senior citizens going shopping instead.
The bus is sadly nicknamed “the seniors’ bus.”
Todd Thacker reports.

[slug] Seogwipo City, Aug.8

This Seogwipo City Tour Bus is decorated with images of Jeju haenyeo diving women gathering their catches underwater.

It’s the summer high season for holiday goers, but the bus is empty and its tourism brochures remain unread.

This bus service was launched to help individual visitors conveniently sightsee in Seogwipo.

But in terms of day-to-day operations, it’s more like a public bus for local residents.

[slug] Senior citizens account for 40% of rides in 2019

In the first five months of 2019, 51,000 passengers used the Seogwipo City Tour Bus.

Of these, some 21,000 were riders over the age of 70, senior citizens who are entitled to ride free of charge. That’s over 40 percent of all passengers.

[slug] Nicknamed ‘the seniors’ bus’

It has since been dubbed “the seniors’ bus”, as many of the passengers are senior citizens who are out shopping.

Recording
Seogwipo City Tour Bus rider
I use the [Seogwipo City Tour] bus to go shopping at the 5-day Market. I take another bus when I return home.
<씽크 : 서귀포 시티투어버스 이용객>
“오일장 갈 때 타고, 올 때는 차가 안 오면 나와서 다른 버스 타고.”

INTERVIEW
Seogwipo City Tour Bus driver
Just a small number of passengers are tourists. Many elders use the bus to get to the 5-day Market. Some tourists find the bus inconvenient as it only stops at a limited number of attractions.
<인터뷰 : 서귀포 시티투어버스 운전사>
“일반 관광객들은 거의 없는 편이고 오일장날 할머니, 할아버지들이 많이 타십니다. 노선이 너무 짧다 보니까 관광객들이 탔을 때 타고도 좀 어이없게 생각하는 경우가 있습니다.

[slug] Bus route limited to downtown Seogwipo

The city tour bus is an electrically powered vehicle which can operate up to 70 kilometers at a time.

But when factoring in the use of air-conditioning or heaters, the bus only can run about 50 kilometers on a charge.

This limits the route to stops at Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls and Oedolgae Rock, both of which are located near the city center.

Recording
Representative / Seogwipo City Tour Bus operator
We’re now consulting with the province and the Jeju Provincial Tourism Association to expand the route to include popular destinations like Soesokkak Estuary.
<씽크 : 시티투어버스 관계자>
“쇠소깍이라든가 더 구석구석 갈 수 있게 이런 방안을 검토와 노력은 제주도와 (제주관광)협회와 협의는 계속했습니다. 지금도 해나가고 있고…”

[Reporter] Todd Thacker
[Camera] Kim Seung-cheol

In the coming months, a reassessment of the city tour bus service will be required ? and improvements made ? to ensure the Seogwipo City Tour Bus remains true to its name.

Todd Thacker, KCTV