Being squeezed into buses and subways every morning is a nightmare not only for workers but for students as well. What is worse, taking more than an hour and not having a direct route to school are distressful to students who commute every day. To help those students, the Korea University Student Association (KUSA) has come up with the project called “School Bus Project, Youth Bus” which is going to be a boon for students who live far away from school.

The “School Bus Project, Youth Bus” was motivated by an another school bus program called “Arrive in the blink of an eye” which was created by Sogang University students. “Arrive in the blink of an eye” was popular among students who were seeking for better routes to arrive in school. Being advantageous to many students, Gonggam Godae decided to plan and implement Korea University (KU)’s own school bus program.

 There were many more students who were having trouble commuting to school than Gonggam Godae expected when they announced the project. Before starting the project, KUSA conducted a survey to know how many students really wanted a school bus and which areas needed a school bus the most. Gonggam Godae uploaded the survey on their official Facebook page for 10 days and ranked the area by votes. It turned out that Ilsan was first (674 votes) and Bundang was second (333 votes).

After conducting a basic survey, KUSA confirmed four routes. One of them starts at Daehwa Station in Ilsan. The second starts at Ori Station in Bundang. The other one is at Youngtong Station in Youngtong and the last at Bupyong Station in Bucheon. Gonggam Godae Management Division official said, “We have currently contacted a bus company and we are planning to confirm the routes by having a survey of demand. After seeing how many students are actually planning to use the school bus, we can decide on the pricing and start the project by the beginning of the semester.”

KUSA believes that the school bus project is crucial for students who live about two hours away from school but still too close to be selected for living in a dormitory. With the advent of the red bus, more students have been waiting longer time for the bus which delays the arrival to school. Bang Sun Ah (’13, Biotechnology) said, “It is such a great initiative that KUSA is implementing school bus project. Since I live in Bundang, it takes about one hour and a half to get to school. I am more than willing to use the school bus if it is implemented.”

Even though the project is just getting underway, it seems to have already attracted a lot of attention from students. After the confirmation of the bus routes and prices, there will likely be more students who are willing to use the school bus to save time. Gonggam Godae showing its enthusiasm and desire to make KU a better university than before. 

▲ There are four routes for the new school bus. Provided by chonghak.korea.ac.kr