It was revealed that 16 districts and counties in Busan responded passively to civic groups' demands to improve roads near the county offices to secure the walking range. Out of the 100 cases pointed out, only 34 have improved, which is still a long way to go.

“The Citizens’ Council improving the walking range for the mobility handicapped” (Citizens’ Council) held a press conference at the square in front of Busan City Hall, on November 10th, to commemorate Pedestrian Day (November 11th). It demanded that the mobility and accessibility of the mobility handicapped should be immediately improved. The Citizens’ Council is an organization organized by associations such as the Busan Parents Society of the Cerebral Palsied, Korea Association of Welfare Centers for People with Disabilities, and Citizen’s Solidarity for Participation of Busan to inspect the walking environment in Busan.

According to the press conference, only 34 out of 100 requests for improving pedestrian roads around 16 district and county offices in Busan have been improved. Dong-gu, Seo-gu, and Suyeong-gu improved by 0%, while Busanjin-gu improved by 100%. At a press conference on November 10th, Citizen’s Solidarity for Participation of Busan said, “We would like to ask if the district and county, which have 0% improvement rate, have no will to improve the walking range. Securing the walking range requires immediate improvement as the right to life for the mobility handicapped.”

Geumjeong-gu, where the Pusan National University (PNU) Busan campus is located, improved by 66.6%, the third-highest improvement rate among the 16 districts. In 2021, the Citizens’ Council asked Geumjeong-gu Office to improve ten issues (effective sidewalk width, height of sidewalk block, braille block location, braille block damage and invasion cases, installation of bollards, and pedestrian inconvenience) and confirmed the improvement rate through monitoring from September to October.

However, the district says improving the rest of the requests is difficult. There are many things to consider in resolving these issues at the district office level. As a result of monitoring by the Citizens’ Council, the parking lot in front of the restaurant near the district office, which was evaluated as the only one that was inadequate among the three places that were monitored, increased its effective sidewalk width from 1.09m to 1.4m. But it failed to meet the criteria guaranteeing the walking range of the mobility handicapped. According to the third paragraph of article 16 of “Rules about the Road Structure,” the effective width of the sidewalk should be at least 1.5m. Kim Ji-Yoon, an officer at the district office’s construction division, said, “It is difficult for the district office to solve the problem where parking vehicles protrude, and the effective sidewalk width cannot be secured.”

It is still pointed out as a passive administration. It is because it improved in places where it was pointed out. According to the coverage, the braille block of the crosswalk right in front of the district office was improved, as pointed out, but the braille block just beyond it remained the same. The braille block at the entrance of the crosswalk should be installed at a safe distance of about 30cm, including the curb, but the risk remains as it is still close to the roadway.

Reporter Choi Sun-Woo

Translated by Kwon Eun-Ji