In a cabinet meeting held yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Strategy Yoo Il-ho reviewed and took a vote on a new reform of transport business law that later passed, an amendment that will see government subsidies given to bus companies including commuter service and charter bus providers. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 31 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean government is ramping up its efforts to tackle the problem of air pollution by subsidizing natural gas-powered buses for transport operators.
In a cabinet meeting held yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Strategy Yoo Il-ho reviewed and took a vote on a new reform of transport business law that later passed, an amendment that will see government subsidies given to bus companies including commuter service and charter bus providers.
Another piece of transport legislation was decided yesterday, a reform to the Act on the Regulation of Violations of Public Order, which will give individuals an extra nine months for traffic fines to be paid in installments or request that the deadline be postponed, with an extended period of up to three months after that if necessary.
Other transport reforms included one for drivers without license plates.
For drivers who are in default, yet can’t support their life financially without a car, the suspension or confiscation of their license plate will be temporarily put off for up to nine months, with a further three-month extension if necessary.
As part of efforts to ramp up its own sanctions against North Korea, all foreign vessels that have been in North Korea in the previous 360 days will be required to request approval to enter South Korea from now on.
Previously, foreign vessels that had called at a North Korean port in the previous 180 days had to go through an official approval process to enter South Korean ports, but heightened tension between the two Koreas in recent months saw customs officials introduce stricter rules as part of their efforts to ramp up security.
Another piece of transport legislation was decided yesterday, a reform to the Act on the Regulation of Violations of Public Order, which will give individuals an extra nine months for traffic fines to be paid in installments or request that the deadline be postponed, with an extended period of up to three months after that if necessary. (Image: Yonhap)
South Korea is zeroing in on a goal of relying less on diesel-fueled vehicles, which are considered to be one of the major factors behind the recent fine dust epidemic.
During the presidential campaign, newly elected president Moon Jae-in pledged to introduce more CNG-powered vehicles in public transport while cutting back on aging diesel-powered vehicles.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
