A view of Gimcheon City Hall. [Provided by Gimcheon City]
A view of Gimcheon City Hall. [Provided by Gimcheon City]

Gimcheon city in North Gyeongsang Province said it will take firm action over allegations against local bus operator Gimcheon Bus, including excessive fuel expenditures, transactions with affiliated gas stations and unreported cash revenue, and will pursue a sweeping overhaul of its public transportation system.

The city expressed regret to residents over the operational problems at Gimcheon Bus, which surfaced through recent media reports, and said Wednesday that it would pursue all available administrative and legal measures — including recovering misappropriated funds and filing additional complaints — if wrongdoing is confirmed through an ongoing investigation by the Gimcheon Police Station.

To improve transparency in the management of fiscal subsidies, the city plans to expand its public transportation specialist workforce and strengthen its verification systems.

In addition, the city plans to convert 80 diesel buses to electric vehicles ahead of schedule and comprehensively restructure city bus routes, while gradually introducing a demand-responsive transit system in areas underserved by public transportation.

The city said it will maintain the current private-sector operating model, as direct municipal operation is expected to cost more than three times as much, but will tighten accountability requirements for operators and strengthen oversight of fiscal support.

"The misuse of fiscal subsidies funded by taxpayers' money cannot be tolerated," a Gimcheon city official said. "We will create a public transportation environment that citizens can trust through strict follow-up measures and improvements to the operating system."


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