Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please briefly describe the initiative, what issue or challenge it aims to address and specify its objectives. (300 words maximum)
The number of vehicles registered in Bucheon City has increased rapidly over the last 10 years, and the city buses account for 30.5% of the total traffic. Road usage has declined in terms of efficiency and led to chronic traffic congestion, which undermines industrial competitiveness. In order to address this, a new transportation policy is necessary to ease traffic congestion and increase transport efficiency.
Bucheon was the first in Korea to introduce its own BIS, which directly provides real-time bus operation information to citizens and may be used for the continuous maintenance and operation of the transportation infrastructure.
The Bucheon-type BIS, an innovative transportation administration system, was developed as an intelligent transportation system (ITS), giving Bucheon city its status as a smart city incorporating IT technology.
Bucheon City defines the Public Resources Sharing Policy of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) including the Bucheon City Bus Information System(BIS) as a sustainable universal service that should be provided to everyone in each city in order to prevent everyone from being alienated from the balanced daily universal mobile service in the sustainable development of innovative technology society.
Question 2
Please explain how the initiative is linked to the selected category. (100 words maximum)
Field of application: Provision of inclusive and equal services including digital transformation.
BIS is scientific and objective transportation administration system based on real-time information and big data. Thus, the transparency and reliability of public transportation administration may be secured. This not only makes it convenient for users, but also enhances management efficiency of transportation companies.
Bucheon established cloud bus information system. Through this, local governments and countries could share their public resources(H/W, S/W). Local cities in Korea and cities overseas utilize Bucheon’s system without having separate systems. This provided a foundation for inclusive and equal bus arrival information service.
Question 3
a. Please specify which SDGs and target(s) the initiative supports and describe concretely how the initiative has contributed to their implementation. (200 words maximum)
The intelligent transportation system(ITS), which includes the BIS in Bucheon, is closely related to the ninth(build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation) and eleventh(providing access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all notably by expanding public transport) Sustainable Development Goals.
Bucheon city, which was the first to establish BIS in Korea, opens and shares its public resources including its hardware and software with villages and local cities. By sharing its digital infrastructure with cities that had difficulty introducing BIS due to problems regarding the workforce and funding, the city was able to establish cooperative governance and partnerships, and promoted inclusive and sustainable innovation by reducing traffic and digital gap among citizens.
At the same time, Bucheon is leading the spread and distribution of its own bus information terminal(BIT), which is a real-time bus route allocation system. It was the first in the world of its kind to be established and operated, and it included the nation’s first smart parking system and the unmanned settlement system. Bucheon has formed a cooperative system with companies specializing in innovative technology, continued to upgrade and develop sustainable technology, and promoted sustainable industrialization and innovation.
b. Please describe what makes the initiative sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms. (100 words maximum)
Opening and sharing of Bucheon’s ITS including BIS is a case, showing a possible solution that not only eliminates traffic and digital gap among citizens, but also creates sustainability between regions and countries.
By removing barriers to public administration, economic losses from BIS’s overlapping investment and establishment are minimized. Also, through establishment of scientific administration system based on big data, the project reduced national budget and converted demand for cars into demand for public transportation, producing less greenhouse gas. It is advantageous to provide universal services to public transportation users. Opening and sharing city’s BIS promotes safe, sustainable environment for everyone.
Question 4
a. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant shortfall in governance, public administration or public service within the context of a given country or region. (200 words maximum)
The transportation administrative system has rapidly developed in South Korea, however, the inequality and gap between capital and non-capital areas with regard to information service of public transportation remains serious. The handicapped and users from the outskirts of villages and local cities still have difficulty using public transportation, and underprivileged people experience a lack of information regarding bus stops and traffic.
In order to solve this, Bucheon city promoted the sharing of public resources and cooperative governance between cities and countries. Public transportation services such as buses have been transformed into services that everyone can equally enjoy.
In the case of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Bucheon city organized and promoted a seminar(‘19.12) for technology sharing following a business agreement, and also supported and participated in the K-City Project Program(’20.6~present).
b. Please describe how your initiative addresses gender inequality in the country context. (100 words maximum)
This project does not directly address gender inequality issues since it aims to provide equal services for all urban citizens both domestically and internationally.
c. Please describe who the target group(s) were, and explain how the initiative improved outcomes for these target groups. (200 words maximum)
When Bucheon introduced BIS for the first time in Korea, the target group was citizens in Bucheon. However, as the city shared its cloud bus information system and distributed bus information terminals, the target group expanded to include users from Seosan-si, Namwon-si, Okcheon-gun, Boeun-gun, and Ulaanbaatar. Through Bucheon city’s inclusive and sustainable sharing policy, everyone, including Bucheon citizens and other public transportation users, could benefit from the same universal public transportation services.
Question 5
a. Please describe how the initiative was implemented including key developments and steps, monitoring and evaluation activities, and the chronology. (300 words)
The pilot project of Bucheon City’s Bus Information System started in 2000. It was implemented with continuous communication and cooperation from citizens beginning in planning stage.
The real project began in 2001. Through the establishment of a scientific and objective transportation administration based on real-time information and big data, the reliability and transparency of public transportation were secured. It was able to promote management efficiency of transportation companies, allowing Bucheon citizens to enjoy convenient system.
From 2002 to 2005, the Bus Information System was selected and operated as a training program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Korea. Because of this, countries such as Cambodia, Latvia, Armenia, Romania, and Uzbekistan conducted field trips to Bucheon.
The Bucheon-type BIS was greatly expanded in 2008. The establishment of a wide-area BIS was linked with local governments from the capital area near Bucheon. After that, in 2014, wide-area BIS expanded to include nearby cities such as Incheon, Siheung, Gimpo, Goyang, and Ansan.
For the first time in Korea, new intelligent transportation system project was implemented in 2015. The transit facility at Songnae station in Bucheon city was the first to implement smart and real-time public transportation services via ITS convergence and integration establishment.
In addition to establishing system, Bucheon acquired technology and design patents for the BIS·BIT. BIS has become an asset of Bucheon, as such, a sustainable low-cost and high-efficiency BIS management environment was prepared.
Sharing the administration and BIS on a cloud computing system started in 2016, and through cooperation with Seosan, Namwon, Okcheon, and Boeun city, an active and leading sharing administration model was created. Through sharing system, local governments could save 9.8 billion won, which is more cost effective than establishing their own BIS.
BIS was introduced as a global sharing project in Ulaanbaatar in 2018.
b. Please clearly explain the obstacles encountered and how they were overcome. (100 words)
‘Rotis’ was the only company in Korea that managed BIS’s wireless self-communication network. However, after it went bankrupt, Bucheon started to develop its own real-time bus arrival information guide.
The transit facility of Songnae station should be able to handle 27 bus routes in six stops without traffic congestion. There was no algorithm that could be applied to management of bus stops. Experts could not provide solutions and design projects for the suspended transit facilities.
After consideration, a system, operation design, and real-time bus route allocation system was established using BIS. After seven months, these efforts ended in success.
Question 6
a. Please explain in what ways the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region. (100 words maximum)
The first type of innovation that Bucheon city emphasizes is the “innovation of challenge”.
Everything that was established for the first time in Korea, including the bus information system, smart parking, unmanned settlement system, the world’s first real-time bus route allocation system, and expansion of self-developed bus information terminal to Ulaanbaatar and local governments in Korea, were considered ‘challenges and innovation’ .
The second type of innovation is “innovation of inclusiveness and cooperation”.
Bucheon shared its public resources through cloud bus information system. The inclusion and cooperation with private sector, public institutions, and countries is true innovation of Bucheon.
b. Please describe, if relevant, how the initiative drew inspiration from successful initiatives in other regions, countries and localities. (100 words maximum)
None
c. If emerging and frontier technologies were used, please state how these were integrated into the initiative and/or how the initiative embraced digital government. (100 words maximum)
Cloud computing technology was used to share public resources(hardware and software at the Traffic Information Center) in real-time, and this was owned by Bucheon.
The technology makes use of devices which collect driving information in vehicles, enables communication via a GPS navigation device, and stores bus operation history in collection server of Bucheon Traffic Information Center every second. The processing server is shared in real-time and the processing information is provided to bus information terminal. Through this technology, users can access public transportation information services without being alienated.
By narrowing the gap in digital information, the digital government is embraced.
Question 7
a. Has the initiative been transferred and/or adapted to other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions) to your organization’s knowledge? If yes, please explain where and how. (200 words maximum)
The Bus Information System was first introduced in Korea by Bucheon, and the project has since expanded domestically and internationally. As part of its inclusion policy through digital innovation, the cloud bus information system was developed into a sharing project and is now being implemented in Seosan-si, Namwon-si, Boeun-gun, and Okcheon-gun. After the distribution of the bus information terminal system to Ulaanbaatar, the project was integrated into the K-city Project Program, developing into a sustainable global partnership.
The self-developed bus information terminal and unmanned settlement system were considered state-supplied goods and distributed throughout the country. A Bucheon-type smart parking system was selected and shared as a standard by many local governments, including Seoul and Suwon. Presently, the smart parking system is being reviewed to determine whether the National Parking Information System Information Strategy Plan is being reflected. In addition, the real-time bus route allocation system implemented as a pilot project in Korea is being benchmarked and spread by local governments, including Suwon and Osan.
Bucheon City received the Hall of Fame award at the 26thITS World Congress in 2019. The city’s inclusive sharing policy for intelligent transportation systems continues to sustainably grow globally.
b. If not yet transferred/adapted to other contexts, please describe the potential for transferability. (200 words maximum)
None
Question 8
a. What specific resources (i.e. financial, human or others) were used to implement the initiative? (100 words maximum)
The resources of the bus information system are classified into hardware, software, professional human resources, and technical advice. A hardware is a hardware-available resource in the bus information system that Bucheon city has established and owns. Software was developed and completed based on national standards. Human resources and technical advice are resources that enable the establishment of DB and conduct on-site surveys and evaluation of cities that request sharing.
b. Please explain what makes the initiative sustainable over time, in financial and institutional terms. (100 words maximum)
The project opens and shares public resources with states or cities, rather than financially and institutionally. Thus, promoting sustainability is more important than anything else in order to uphold the value of "inclusion" in an open administration.
In this fast-paced digitally innovative environment, sharing public resources is possible in real time. This change can reduce the nation’s financial burden and play a role in allowing public funds to be used for other policies.
Question 9
a. Was the initiative formally evaluated either internally or externally?
Yes
b. Please describe how it was evaluated and by whom? (100 words maximum)
The assessments and measures were conducted to analyze effects of the project according to Articles 33–36 of ITS project implementation guidelines for vehicle and road sectors by the Ministry. The objective measure of effectiveness(MOE) in guideline was implemented.
The selection of points to be evaluated reflected bus route characteristics. Evaluators with experience in establishment and operation of BIS among transportation and computer majors participated, increasing reliability of assessment.
MOE was assessed using both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Quantitative indicators were evaluated based on the BIS-operation history DB and on-site survey data. Qualitative indicators were assessed through interviews with users.
c. Please describe the indicators and tools used. (100 words maximum)
In the case of Bucheon City’s cloud-based bus information system sharing project, Okcheon-gun’s case was evaluated by taking information accuracy and punctuality as quantitative indicators, while qualitative indicators included satisfaction with punctuality, service, necessity, satisfaction with the information provided, and other factors.
d. What were the main findings of the evaluation (e.g. adequacy of resources mobilized for the initiative, quality of implementation and challenges faced, main outcomes, sustainability of the initiative, impacts) and how is this information being used to inform the initiative’s implementation? (200 words maximum)
Seosan, which used Bucheon’s BIS, spent about 130 million won. This saved more than 3.3 billion won, which would have cost promoting their own BIS. Also, stable services could be provided immediately. Other cities exhibited similar savings.
In Namwon, it was found that overall satisfaction was increased, and this included reduction in waiting time and improvement of bus service.
The sharing project of the ITS, which includes Bucheon’s BIS, has key value of “opening and sharing of public resources” and aims to provide universal service for everyone. Thus, it is better to assess this project considering the values of “innovation and excellence” in that it is based on partnerships with and inclusion of institutions, rather than being financial priority project.
It takes persuasion and participation to promote policies that open and share public resources with other cities. In particular, it takes efforts to dispel prejudice regarding the sharing policy based on digital transformation, as it is viewed risky.
In private sector, the opening and sharing of resources became natural digital environment, but not in public sector. With Bucheon’s cloud-based ITS sharing project, it is expected that ‘inclusion’ policy that opens and shares public resources will be expanded in public sector.
Question 10
Please describe how the initiative is inscribed in the relevant institutional landscape (for example, how is it situated with respect to relevant government agencies, and how have these institutional relationships been operating). (200 words maximum)
The Korean government has a national goal to provide and link public transportation information without interruption. The government is promoting the provision of real-time public transportation information on a nationwide scale and targeting local governments.
Bucheon’s cloud bus information system sharing project has expanded to become a national-level model. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority, an affiliate of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, promotes an integrated operation project that provides national funds to local governments with suffer from a lack of professional workforce and poor financial conditions, and this has become integrated into the Bucheon cloud bus information system sharing project model.
Some local governments prefer the introduction of the Bucheon cloud bus information system after considering project costs and operational efficiency. Beside the BIS, they are also discussing the Bucheon-type smart parking system. It is expected that the ‘inclusive’ practice of Bucheon’s intelligent transportation system sharing project will expand in the future.
Question 11
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe which stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative and how this engagement took place. (200 words maximum)
The project was jointly designed, implemented, and evaluated by Bucheon City, local governments, transportation companies in the region, Bucheon City Corporation, and local private companies.
First, Bucheon city and local governments established cooperative governance based on sharing public and human resources.
Second, local governments and transportation companies established cooperative systems for the rational operation of routes based on data from the real-time operation history.
Third, this could not have been achieved without Bucheon City Corporation’s participation and partnership. The City Corporation is an affiliate of Bucheon City, however, a working-level team has been in charge of operating the city's intelligent transportation system.
Fourth, private companies support system failures(errors).
The Bucheon cloud bus information system sharing project hinges on the cooperation between local governments and the establishment of partnerships and participation of public companies and local private companies. Participation, communication, and partnership among these stakeholders provided a driving force in the reliable implementation of projects, without having to undergo trial and error.
Question 12
Please describe the key lessons learned, and how your organization plans to improve the initiative. (200 words maximum)
The Bucheon bus information system began with the opening and sharing of public resources. Because of this, people’s lives were improved through minimizing the gap in the digital information they receive.
A gap exists in the capacity of public resources owned by countries and cities as well as the degree of exposure of citizens to the digital environment. A small but valuable thought-based-concern becomes a policy, and that policy brings about changes that make the world more sustainable, inclusive, and results in balanced development across regions.
Stakeholders learn the value of ‘participation’ and ‘partnership’ and that ‘participation’, ‘sharing’, ‘digital inclusion’, and ‘balanced service’ can be shared in a cooperative system.
In order to reduce alienation in Bucheon City, in Korea, and around the world, Bucheon city will take the lead in the continuous sharing of public resources. By doing this, Bucheon city will be referred to as a ‘sharing and innovative city’ and ‘inclusive city’. ‘Inclusion’ pertains to the concept that everyone benefits equally.