By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

Public fury is mounting over Seoul City’s new public transportation system that went into effect on Thursday, as buses are backed up on major streets and the new payment system for subway and bus fares is under repair, causing billions of won in losses.

Passengers on Friday were still frustrated at bus and subway stations due in large part to lack of preparations by city officials before bringing a major change to the bus routes and operation schedules.

Despite similar problems that arose during test runs, Seoul City on Thursday operated the new payment system, which was designed to make it easier and cheaper for passengers to transfer from buses to subways and vice versa.

Subways could not collect fares, estimated to be some 1.2 billion won, for several hours while the system was paralyzed. City officials said it was fixed on Thursday afternoon, but around 1,400 out of 8,000 buses operating in the capital offered free rides yesterday when the new system failed to accept certain types of transportation cards.

Critics argue Seoul City should take full responsibility for the chaos caused by the new system. In particular, criticism is centered on Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, who gave the go-ahead for the transportation changes despite concerns that citizens would not welcome them.

``All this confusion was a forgone fact. Many transportation experts gave warnings on possible negative effects and demanded a delay in carrying out the new system, but Seoul City neglected them,’’ a member of the Seoul City union said. ``No one knows whether traffic situations will improve now. But one thing is clear. Everyone is experiencing inconveniences since the new system was set in motion.’’

The biggest problem is that no one can give a clear answer about the traffic changes with even bus drivers not having sufficient knowledge themselves.

The red-colored bus lanes in the middle of the load were introduced to make rush-hour traffic faster, but seem to only add to the gridlock and confusion.

The situation on Kangnam Boulevard, an arterial road connecting central Seoul to the southern part of the city, is the worst. Lee Yun-hee, an office worker in Seoul, complained she got her car stuck on the road for over five hours on Thursday night.

``During rush hour, I usually arrive in my home in Ansan around 9 p.m. on weekdays. I arrived at midnight on Thursday due to heavy traffic on Kangnam Boulevard,’’ Lee said.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr