Students walk to school. [Yonhap]
Students walk to school. [Yonhap]

All construction sites near schools and in zones designated to protect children, the elderly and people with disabilities will be required to install pedestrian safety passages and safety facilities, even when the work does not encroach on existing walkways.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety said Tuesday the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Promotion Act at its meeting.

The revised law mandates the installation of pedestrian safety passages and safety facilities at all construction sites within child, elderly and disability protection zones and school environment protection zones, regardless of whether the work occupies an adjacent walkway.

Under the previous law, such installations were required only when a construction project directly occupied a pedestrian path. That left pedestrians near worksites that did not encroach on walkways exposed to risks such as falling debris or structural collapse.

The amendment extends the installation obligation to those carrying out construction without occupying a pedestrian path. To give worksites sufficient time to prepare, the revised law takes effect six months after its promulgation.

"We expect this amendment to the Pedestrian Safety Act to make a significant contribution to improving the safety of vulnerable pedestrians, including children," Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said. "We will work closely with local governments to ensure the revised law takes root on the ground."


thlee@heraldcorp.com