Seoul's Seongdong-gu will continue operating its "Walking School Bus" program through the summer break to keep elementary school students safe on their commutes, the district said.
The Walking School Bus — literally a "school bus on foot" — pairs traffic safety instructors with elementary students for supervised walks along fixed routes. Beyond preventing traffic accidents and crimes involving children, the program also provides hands-on traffic safety education, teaching students how to use crosswalks and follow pedestrian safety rules.
Seongdong-gu expanded the program beyond the regular school term to cover vacation periods starting with the winter break of 2022, and in 2024 extended eligibility to students attending after-school classes, building a tighter commute safety net.
Since late 2025, the program has been open to all elementary grades — first through sixth — up from the original first-through-third coverage, allowing more students to receive safe-commute supervision and giving parents greater peace of mind.
During this summer break, 79 traffic safety instructors will oversee more than 500 students across 38 routes at 17 elementary schools in the district.
During the regular school term, 128 instructors support more than 1,100 students across 46 routes at the same 17 schools. The district said it will keep the program running at a comparable scale over the break to minimize any gap in commute safety and give parents confidence that their children are well looked after even during vacation.
"The walk to and from school — the start and end of a child's day — should be the safest and most comfortable part of their routine," district mayor Yoo Bo-hwa said. "We will build a seamless commute safety net so that children can travel to school with confidence even during the break, creating an environment where both students and parents can feel at ease."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
