Gunpo Mayor Han Dae-hee emphasized on October 19 that "the meals and working conditions of transportation workers are crucial issues that directly affect the health of the workers and the stability of public transportation services provided to citizens."
Mayor Han personally inspected the meal conditions of bus transportation workers and initiated field-centered administration to improve working environments.
The aim is to secure the health and safety of transportation workers while enhancing the stability of public transportation services that citizens can feel.
In response to recent media reports regarding poor meal conditions at bus companies, Mayor Han conducted an initial field inspection of city and village bus operators and held discussions with representatives of these companies to address meal quality improvements and practical support measures.
The inspection focused on the meal provision methods, meal costs, menu composition, and food serving conditions of each company.
Mayor Han stated, "The inspection revealed that different companies are using various methods for meal provision, including external restaurants, meal allowances, lunch boxes, and in-house cafeterias."
While confirming discrepancies between some media reports and on-site conditions, Mayor Han noted that it is difficult to assess the overall quality of meals based on a single inspection and plans to continue ongoing evaluations.
He views this issue as one that goes beyond mere meal provision, emphasizing the need to examine both the working conditions of transportation workers and the quality of public transportation services.
Ensuring that transportation workers can work in a stable environment is essential for maintaining the sustainability and safety of public transportation services.
Accordingly, Mayor Han plans to implement short-term improvement measures that can be applied on-site. Workers at the Bugok depot will be allowed to use the cafeteria within the depot, and discussions are underway with transportation companies to secure separate meal facilities for workers at freight terminals.
Other topics for discussion include reviewing food suppliers, meal operation plans for each depot, and adjusting meal costs.
The goal is to establish practical improvements that consider the commuting routes and meal accessibility for workers.
Mayor Han also intends to strengthen institutional management to avoid one-time responses.
To this end, starting next year, a system will be introduced to regularly inspect the working conditions and treatment of bus operators in the area, ensuring continuous oversight of not only meal provisions but also the overall working conditions of workers.
This initiative is significant as it recognizes that improving the treatment of transportation workers and managing public transportation services are interconnected issues.
Moving forward, it will be crucial to determine whether the improvement measures lead to actual enhancements in meal quality and worker satisfaction, as well as how effectively on-site issues are managed through regular inspections.
Local citizens have also shown a keen interest in the meal conditions of bus transportation workers.
In particular, citizens emphasize the importance of ensuring that the inspection of meal conditions does not remain a one-time measure but leads to ongoing management, with tangible improvements felt on the ground.
Meanwhile, Mayor Han stated, "Based on the issues identified on-site, we will systematically implement both short-term solutions and regular inspections to create a public transportation environment where workers can feel secure in their jobs."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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