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How to cut your transport costs

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2008/12/16/200812160056.asp

There are different ways to shave costs off what you spend every month on public transportation. The best way, for those that take the subway every day - and not a bus - is the subway commuter card, which is different from the regular transportation card that nearly everyone uses.
And if you travel From Seoul to one of its satellite cities, Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province recently implemented a change that cuts transfer fees, which can save commuters hundreds of dollars per month.


Commuter card

A significant benefit that has made public transportation in and around Seoul even more affordable is the subway commuter card, which should not be confused with a regular transportation card.

While most commuters use transportation cards when using the bus or subway, few expats are aware of the existence of this money-saving transportation card. It is also known as the "subway season pass" on the T-money website. In Korean it is known as the ji-ha-cheol jeong-gi-gwon. If you only use the subway and you use it often, it`s the most economical way to travel.

You can use this card on all eight subway lines. It is designed for people who commute using the subway everyday. The card is valid for 30 days starting from the date of purchase. Essentially, you pay for 44 trips in advance at a discount rate and then you get to use the card 60 times during the 30-day period, with no limit on the number of times you use the card per day.

The cost of the card varies according to the distance traveled. For example, if you travel within a 20 km zone daily, each trip would normally cost 900 to 1,100 won with a regular transportation card, a total of 54,000 to 66,000 won for 60 rides; but the commuter card would only cost 39,600 won.

Meanwhile a 25 km zone would cost 44,900 won, a 30 km zone 48,600 won, etc. There are a total of 14 different zones, each increasing about 3,800 won in price as the distance increases by 5 or 10 km. In each case you are only charged for 44 subway rides at a discounted rate. You can save up to 40 percent compared to using a regular transportation card.

The only catch is that you cannot transfer to a bus using this card. So if you need to transfer to a bus you will either have to pay cash or use a regular transportation card, hence needing to pay again. For some, it might be difficult juggling two cards, but it could be very cost-effective if you use the subway a lot.

The card can be purchased at all subway stations. You will have to determine the zone distance most beneficial for your needs in advance so that you purchase the right card. If you buy a card for a zone that does not cover your daily traveling needs, you may end up paying more than if you simply used a regular transportation card.

For example, if you purchase a card for a 20 km zone and you swipe your card to ride the subway and realize afterward that you will be traveling further, your card will automatically deduct an extra ride when you swipe the card again as you exit the subway. In this case, it would be more economical to either purchase a ticket or to use a regular transportation card.

Transfer discount

In July 2007, the Integrated Transfer Discount System was unveiled for those who use buses or the subway in both Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Commuter seat buses - buses that provide inter-boundary service between downtown Seoul and satellite cities in Gyeonggi Province - were not included in the transfer discount system, much to the dismay of those commuting between Gyeonggi Province and Seoul on a daily basis.

But as of Sept. 20 public transportation was made more convenient and economical for all those living in and around Seoul.

It is now possible to transfer from bus to subway and vice-versa regardless of the color of the bus or how far you traveled.

Now all commuter seat buses (red buses) that run between Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are included in the transfer discount system. According to the agreement signed by Seoul City mayor, the Gyeonggi Province governor and the president of Korail, the basic fare for 30 km is 1,700 won with a regular transportation card. An additional 100 won is added for every additional 5 km traveled upon transferring to a city bus, a town bus or the subway within the metropolitan area.

You are allowed to transfer up to five times. For those who only take the commuter seat bus, a flat rate of 1,700 won is in place.

Savings for regular users of the service are quite large. If you were to take a commuter seat bus to Sadang Station and transfer to the subway to get to Jamsil Station, it would have cost 2,700 won according to the old system (1,700 won bus fare plus subway fare of 1,000 won). But with the new system in place, it only costs 1,900 won (1,700 won for 30km basic fare plus an additional 200 won for 9 km). If you take the route five times a week, savings reach into the hundreds of dollars.

Seoul City`s director general of transportation, Yoon Joon-byeong, anticipates a large number of people will benefit from the savings.

"About 220,000 people will benefit from the new ITDS and save approximately 750 won per ride, which could potentially add up to a total saving of up to 500,000 won per year," he said.

Several commuter seat bus lines will be rerouted to make the whole system more efficient and decrease the amount of traffic downtown. Also, the construction of several bus transfer centers, in both Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, is planned over the next few years.

Next year Seoul City plans to further expand the integrated transportation system by joining forces with Incheon City.

By Jung So-ya


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2008.12.16

[Yesterday]

[wylies99]

yesterday, if you learned any tips from the article about saving money then that gives you money for other things.