A civic group advocating for disability rights staged a brief protest during commuting hours Monday morning, occupying a bus stop in Seoul and halting traffic in protest of what it called discrimination in access to public transport.
Members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination gathered at about 9:20 a.m. at a bus stop near Seodaemun Station in western Seoul, blocking bus operations. Calling them “discriminatory buses,” wheelchair users at the scene demanded that services be halted immediately.
Police redirected buses to adjacent lanes and warned the protesters they could face penalties for disrupting traffic. The demonstration ended about 10 minutes later, at 9:30 a.m.
The group has held a series of rush hour protests in Seoul, pressing for legal revisions to improve mobility access for people with disabilities.
In a separate action on Friday, activists attempted to board buses in wheelchairs to illustrate the barriers they face.
They are calling for changes to the Act on Promotion of the Transportation Convenience of Mobility Disadvantaged Persons, enacted in 2006.
The group wants taxis and intercity trains included in the law’s definition of public transportation, along with clearer obligations for operators to provide accessible services.
Activists also criticized the Seoul Metropolitan Government for granting what they described as excessive exemptions allowing bus operators not to deploy low-floor buses. Such exemptions are currently allowed when route conditions are deemed unsuitable.
Separately, the group’s subway protests began on Dec. 3, 2021, marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Since then, activists have carried out boarding and delay protests for years, mainly on Seoul Subway Line No. 4 near Hyehwa Station, demanding expanded disability rights funding and stronger guarantees of mobility access.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
