▲ This undated file photo shows a Han River bus ferry. (Yonhap)

Seoul river bus-resumption

Seoul's river bus service to resume Sunday after safety check

SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) -- The Seoul city government said Wednesday it will resume the water bus service on the full Han River route this weekend after completing safety measures related to a grounding accident last November.

The Seoul government embarked on the Han River bus ferry service last year, vowing to develop it into a combination of a city landmark, a tourist product and a means of water transportation supplementing land public transportation.

But a Han River ferry ran aground in shallow waters near a dock in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, on Nov. 15, leaving 82 passengers stranded for a while. Since the accident, the river bus service has been partially operated on a route between Yeouido and Magok in western Seoul.

The full-scale service will resume on Sunday, the city government said. The operating routes will be centered on the high-demand Yeouido Pier and divided into eastern (Jamsil-Yeouido) and western (Magok-Yeouido) sections to increase operational efficiency and stability, it noted.

There will be 16 daily round trips on the eastern and western sections, respectively, with an interval of one hour.

On the eastern route, the first ferry departs from Jamsil at 10 a.m. and the last arrives at 8:27 p.m. On the western route, the first ferry departs from Magok at 10:20 a.m. and the last arrives at 7:32 p.m. When transferring between the eastern and western routes at Yeouido, transfer fees are waived.

Starting in April, an express route connecting Jamsil, Yeouido and Magok without transfers during rush hour will be additionally launched, the city government said.

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