Blaming the elderly and blaming the young hate, but where is the solution to public transportation fares? [Investigation Report News Prism] [Opening: Reporter Lee Kwang-bin] Let's start with <News Prism>, which asks questions from the citizen's point of view, raises issues in Korean society, and creates a better tomorrow! Let's take a look at the issues that <News Prism> paid attention to this week [Video composition] [Reporter Lee Kwang-bin] The question of whether or not to raise public transportation fares in Seoul has been swirling around the country for a while.
Public transport deficit is a problem that applies to almost all municipalities This is why this controversy is not just a problem in Seoul.
This controversy has put the free ride system on the cutting board, which has been fully implemented since 1984 for those over the age of 65 As the generational conflict spread, the language of hatred and hatred was rampant.
The government decided to freeze public charges in the first half of the year, taking a break for a while, but the controversy is scheduled again In this News Prism, we will look at the conflicting aspect of this controversy, the case of Germany that issued an unconventional public transportation discount pass, and the Korean-style alternatives presented by experts.
[Seoul city’s transportation fee increase has been postponed to the second half of the year, but… The fire still remains / Reporter Kim Yoo-ah] Currently, the basic fare for public transportation in Seoul is 1,250 won for an adult using a transportation card In the 2000s, if you look at the trend of Seoul subway fare increase, it rose from 500 won to 600 won in 2000, and by 100 won each in 2003 and 2004.
Since then, due to the integration of subway and bus fares, the rate of increase has slowed down to 900 won in 2007, 1,050 won five years later in 2012, and then raised to the current fare in 2015 and then frozen ” It is the city's plan to raise it.
<Yang Jae-hwan / Dr Yang, Seoul Institute> "We will operate with a deficit from the beginning, because it is operated with the goal of recovering it through finance to some extent.
Especially in terms of the socio-economic environment centered on Corona, the current deficit is a little too much for the city to handle As a way to make up for the deficit, raising the age of the free ride system for the elderly from the current age of 65 to 70 has also been discussed by some, but there is a strong backlash, saying that it only fuels generational conflict and hinders the welfare of the elderly.
<Kim Sang-cheol / Chairman of Public Transportation Network> "Because people who have no choice but to use public transportation belong to the socially or economically weak .
There are a lot of elderly people who are able to do social activities (through free rides again).
" A war of nerves broke out between the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Seoul Metropolitan Government as the city of Seoul requested financial support from the central government, claiming that the state should be responsible for some of the public interest costs <Oh Se-Hoon / Mayor of Seoul (February 7)> “The free ride was (in the past) the president’s order to review… (because of that) all urban railways are facing a deficit problem, so it’s a nationwide issue… the central government is The logic that we need to help.
" The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, which is in charge of the central government's budget, expressed disapproval <Chu Gyeong-ho / Minister of Strategy and Finance (February 7)> "This is a part where local governments have to be responsible for operating with their own budget.
I recommend that Seoul City conduct a management diagnosis for the deficit while running it .
" It has been postponed to the second half, but the controversy is likely to recur if no proper solution is found.
Voices are growing that the central government, local governments, and civil society must put their heads together to seek solutions in order to prevent a repetition of wasteful conflicts [Reporter Lee Kwang-bin] In the summer of last year, when Europe's energy crisis became more real due to the war in Ukraine, Germany made it possible to go anywhere in the country with a 9 euro commuter pass.
The disruptive experiment sparked interest around the world In the analysis and evaluation that the efficiency was great in the socio-economic aspect, the permanent pass system was introduced.
This is reporter Kim Ji-sun [49 euro ticket regularization after success of 9 euro ticket… Germany's shocking experiment / Correspondent Kim Ji-sun] The platform at Hamburg Central Station in Germany is full of passengers.
It is thanks to the so-called '9 Euro Ticket', which allows unlimited use of all short-distance public transportation such as buses and trains for just 9 euros or 12,000 won per month <Jennifer Herrmann / '9 euro ticket' customer> I bought a 9 euro ticket because I'm from a nearby area.
Introduced for three months last summer to reduce the burden of living expenses and promote the use of public transportation in a situation where prices are soaring due to soaring energy prices, this ticket was sold as many as 52 million copies Considering the existing annual ticket customers, it is equivalent to one German adult purchase.
A survey by the German Transport Companies Association found that 20% of buyers reported that they had rarely or never taken a bus or train before If you add up to 26% who used it at most once a month, 46% are citizens who usually avoid public transportation.
In addition, 10% of their public transportation use was found to have replaced a car During this period, it was analyzed that carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by 1.
8 million tons, which was effective in responding to climate change, as well as improving the quality of life, such as increasing income by promoting social participation of low-income families As the 9 euro ticket has achieved such unprecedented results, the authorities have decided to issue a follow-up model, the 'Deutschland Ticket', on a regular basis from May 1st.
At 49 euros, it's more than five times the price of a 9 euro ticket, but it's still significantly cheaper than the 86 euros a month pass in Berlin and 78 euros in Frankfurt The federal government and the state governments each plan to contribute 1.
5 billion euros annually for this This is Yonhap News Kim Ji-sun.
[Corner: Reporter Lee Kwang-bin] The key to conflicts over the issue of free rides for the elderly and an increase in public utility rates is, after all, financial resources All problems can be solved easily if only financial support is provided.
However, social consensus is also required for the use of financial resources provided by taxes Germany's 9 euro ticket issuance was also possible because of the financial support of the federal government.
The German federal government provided 2 6 billion euros, or 3.
6 trillion won in Korean money, to public transport operators This is to compensate for the decrease in fee income.
The same is true for the issuance of tickets for 49 euros, which will take place from May Fierce discussions took place between the central and local governments over the issue of financial support.
The federal government and 16 local government transportation ministers put their heads together and eventually reached an agreement that the federal government and local governments would each bear 1 5 billion euros and 2.
76 trillion won each It will be applied for 2 years.
Ticket prices may increase in the future, or financial aid may increase In Korea, some argue that the central government should prepare a budget for public transportation fare support by using transportation, energy, and environment taxes, which are a type of oil tax.
Experts are also suggesting the idea that local governments should actively utilize traffic generation charges and congestion charges to raise funds Of course, in order to utilize the existing tax revenue, there is also a problem of reducing the financial resources of the existing users.
As much as that, there is no choice but to be a lot of pain in the process of social and policy agreement in the middle of the day Even with financial support, German-style public transport fare reductions are not without merit.
It may also lead to discrimination in use between urban and rural areas Suburbs do not benefit from the 9 euro ticket as much as cities, as public transport access is less accessible than cities.
Korea is especially so Even in the metropolitan area, public transportation networks such as subway and bus networks are dense, but the difference is extreme in suburban areas.
It seems that German-style policies will be possible only when social consensus is reached in this area Our experts are coming up with alternatives to this controversy little by little.
So far, social discussions about various alternatives are not active Let's take a look at a critical perspective on free riding for the elderly, social benefits, and alternatives from experts.
This is reporter Choi Deok-jae [Passing the cost on to the younger generation?.
Need for cost-benefit-based alternatives / Correspondent Deokjae Choi] In the face of a 'super-aging society' in which more than 20% of the total population is elderly, the way we look at the elderly who are free riding has changed Younger people are complaining, 'Can a 65-year-old be considered an old man?' On the other hand, there is also a counterargument that free riding promotes various social, economic, and leisure activities of the elderly, greatly reducing medical expenses, nursing expenses, and living support expenses for the elderly, which are enormously taxed every year.
The social benefits generated through this should be considered as the effect of free riding for the elderly The problem is that the subway fare is lower than the original price, and the deficit accumulates over time.
As of 2021, free ride costs amounted to KRW 231 1 billion, accounting for 24.
6% of total operating losses <Kim Jeong-seop / Seoul Transportation Corporation Union Propaganda Department Manager> "According to the Enforcement Decree of the Elderly Welfare Act, fares are 100% discounted for those over the age of 65.
" Looking at the cases of advanced countries abroad, 'complete free riding' is not common In the case of London, England, it is limited to after 9 am on weekdays or on weekends, and in France, it is also limited to cases where the monthly income is less than 2.
96 million won Experts emphasize that it is difficult to pass on the fare deficit to users in public transportation, which has a large public nature, so a solution must be found through clear reasons and deliberation.
<Yoo Jeong-hoon / Professor of Transportation System Engineering, Ajou University> "In order to eliminate unnecessary conflicts and promote rational public opinion, I think it is important for the central government, which is the party involved, to clearly clarify how much social and economic benefits are compared to the total cost of free riding at the age of 65 " If it is difficult to solve the cost problem right away, a compromise is proposed such as not offering free rides during rush hours or paying a certain level of fare in unavoidable cases.
<Hwang Jin-soo / Director, Korea Senior Welfare Policy Research Center> "There is a plan where the elderly pay 30% or 50% (during commute time) There is a problem that needs to be approached carefully.
" Some are also discussing how to set the price according to the original cost and selectively support the private and public sectors afterwards There are also growing voices calling for more fundamental alternatives to keep pace with the transition of urban transportation to electricity and smart mobility.
Experts say that the era of 'MaaS', in which all means of transportation, such as the subway and urban air transportation UAM, can be used as many times as a flat rate will become a reality, and explain that the current system needs to be efficiently reorganized until then This is Choi Deok-jae from Yonhap News TV.
[Closing: Reporter Lee Kwang-bin] The government temporarily put the brakes on the trend of increasing public utility rates This is in consideration of the fact that the common people are going through a difficult time due to the rapid rise in prices.
It just took a little time If the issue of public transportation fare hikes is not resolved within a few months, social conflicts may become more severe.
In resolving conflict, it is not emotion, but data, accurate analysis, and social judgment based on it The issue of free riding for the elderly, triggered by the huge deficit of the Seoul Transportation Corporation, makes us feel the seriousness of the culture of hatred that is gradually taking root in our society.
Even if not everyone can be satisfied, what is the trick that can be accepted as a member of the community? 9 euro tickets, 49 euro tickets are a system in Germany Korea may benchmark, but it may not be a suitable system.
It is hoped that the controversy over senior citizens' free rides and public transportation fare hikes will serve as an opportunity for our society to catch both 'two rabbits' in guaranteeing mobility and increasing economic benefits This week's news prism ends here.
Thank you everyone for watching .
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