SEOUL, April 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Subway stations commonly packed during commuting hours and major transfer stations saw a plunge in the number of passengers since the coronavirus outbreak.
Seoul’s Yeouido Station on Subway Line 5 and 9, located in one of the city’s biggest business districts, recorded an average of 257,281 passengers during rush hours last month, down by 10.2 percent compared to the previous year and 2.6 percent since the previous month.
The average number of passengers disembarking from Gangnam on Subway Line 2 (181,182) and Gwanghwamun Station on Subway Line 5 (91,134) during the same time frame dropped by 24 to 28 percent compared to the previous year and 5 to 6 percent since the previous month.
Experts argue that the drop in usage of public transportation comes as a result of businesses encouraging employees to work from home or implementing flexible commuting hours as part of their efforts to respond to the government’s social distancing directives.
People voluntarily staying indoors and using private vehicles instead of public transportation are also factors that led to the reduction of passengers.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
