Seoul to set 50 kph speed limit on roads with bus-only lanes

The speed limit on Seoul roads with bus-only lanes will be adjusted to 50 kilometers per hour starting late this month as part of efforts to reduce traffic accidents involving pedestrians, the city government said Wednesday.

The new speed limit will apply to 14 roads in Seoul with median bus-only lanes, starting Dec. 20. Violators face up to 170,000 won ($142) in fines.

Other major roads -- including Hannamdaero and Gyeonginro -- connected to roads with bus-only lanes will have the 50 kph speed limit enforced within the first half of next year.

The speed limit will not apply to expressways such as Olympicdaero and Gangbyeonbukro.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul National Police Agency will begin construction of safety facilities next year, with a revision to the related regulation to go into effect in April 2021.

The roads with bus-only lanes have seen a higher rate of pedestrian deaths from traffic accidents at 65 percent, compared to the average on Seoul’s roads at 60 percent, according to city data.

In the Jongno section of the bus-only lane, where the speed limit was slashed from 60 kph to 50 kph in June last year, the number of traffic accidents decreased by 15.8 percent and casualties by 22.7 percent, the data showed.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)