Seoul City announced on the 20th that the cumulative number of passengers on the Hangang Bus had reached 300,727 as of the 19th. It has been eight months since regular service began on September 18 last year.
The pace of growth is steep. Until the resumption of full-route service on March 1 this year, cumulative ridership had remained at 104,498. But in the 80 days since the resumption, 196,229 more people rode the Hangang Bus by the 19th. That means nearly twice the ridership recorded during the first five months of partial operation surged in just two and a half months after full service normalized.
Seoul City said it expects cumulative ridership to surpass 200,000 after the resumption as early as this week. After full-route service resumed, it took 47 days to reach the first 100,000 riders. The second 100,000 is likely to be reached in just a little over a month.
Monthly daily-average ridership trends support this momentum. During partial operation, the daily average in January was only 245 passengers. It rose to 576 in February, 2,016 in March when full-route service resumed, 2,550 in April, and 3,013 in May. Over five months, it more than doubled twelvefold.
The 300,000-cumulative-rider mark is a new turning point for the Hangang Bus. The initial atmosphere of criticism has shifted to cautious optimism as the service has seen a steady stream of passengers this spring. It is also beginning to be viewed as both a practical means of transport for Seoul and a leisure-oriented mode of travel.
Still, the key to its success ultimately lies in accessibility. The long transfer distances from piers to subway stations and bus stops, as well as the ongoing vulnerability to service suspensions during severe weather, remain unchanged.
Even if it enjoys a temporary boom from spring and autumn tourism demand, the financial burden of 16.1 billion won in accumulated losses will grow heavier if it cannot secure a consistent level of riders throughout all four seasons.
The opening of the Seoul Forest pier and operations during the expo period are expected to serve as a test. With the schedule delayed to ensure safety, how much demand the Hangang Bus can absorb from expo visitors after June and whether it can continue operating without accidents will be a watershed moment for the establishment of Han River water transport.