Bird spikes (Image courtesy of Seoul Metro)
SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, which operates subway lines 1 through 8 in Seoul, announced that it is installing bird spikes to prevent pigeons from perching and anti-collision facilities to protect wild birds. This move aims to block pigeon entry into stations while safeguarding avian wildlife.
According to the corporation, from January 2023 to January 2024, it received a total of 131 complaints related to the nuisance caused by pigeons, with most requests seeking the removal of pigeons that had entered station premises. This averages out to nearly one complaint every three days over the course of a year.
The stations with the highest occurrences of pigeon entry were Hapjeong Station on Line 2, followed by Sindorim Station and Wangsimni Station.
The presence of pigeons in stations is not merely an inconvenience but can also lead to alarming accidents.
In April 2022, a citizen at Sindorim Station lowered their head to avoid an incoming pigeon and collided with the corner of a gate, resulting in a laceration near their eye.
In August 2021, during an operation to repel pigeons perched on a catenary wire at Nowon Station on Line 4, a cleaning pole made contact, causing a power outage on the overhead lines and narrowly avoiding a major incident. A catenary wire is a cable that keeps the overhead power lines from sagging.
To address this issue, the corporation plans to prioritize the installation of bird spikes at five stations, including Sanggye Station and Dobongsan Station. Subsequently, it will gradually expand the installation of netting and bird spikes to aboveground stations.
An anti-collision facility (Image courtesy of Seoul Metro)
Bird spikes are devices with steel pins embedded in plastic boards, preventing birds from perching on buildings or structures.
Additionally, the corporation is considering a trial installation of bird repellents and sonic deterrents near the entrances of 35 underground stations.
Promotional efforts and guidance will be enhanced to discourage the feeding of birds, and strict management of food waste will be implemented.
Facilities to protect wild birds will also be installed.
In February, the corporation installed anti-collision systems at eight glass canopies across four stations: Jongno 3-ga, Jamsil, Yeouinaru, and Noksapyeong.
By July, these systems will be added to 24 more locations across 18 stations, with plans to gradually expand the installations to 630 locations across 214 stations.
Baek Ho, the CEO of the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, stated, “We are exploring various methods to prevent the entry of pigeons into stations, which causes inconvenience to citizens.” He urged the public’s cooperation in maintaining a pleasant environment by refraining from feeding pigeons or littering food waste.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
