Two Successes for Safety in Transportation Emergencies

Safety is a human right and it is crucial for urban cities like Gwangju. As our city continues to develop, safety needs to be preserved and promoted, especially concerning public transportation. Adam Greenberg agrees, and this is his success story of reporting a problem to the Gwangju City Government.

While riding the bus to school in July 2014, Greenberg noticed that all of the emergency hammers on buses were at the front and none were at the back. He realized the necessity of distributing these emergency hammers throughout the entire bus so that people would be able to escape from any location within the bus.

But how does an international resident report something of this nature to the correct Korean authorities? Greenberg explored different options before contacting the 1330 Korean Tourist Information Center, a phone service that international residents can call for assistance at any time. A receptionist gave Greenberg the e-mail address of a staff member in the Problem Solving Department.

In the initial e-mail to the department employee, Greenberg stated his view that having four emergency hammers next to each other above the entrance door was not ideal, and that it prevented those in the back from properly escaping. With pictures proving his point, Greenberg also recommended that spreading the hammers throughout the buses would be the best resolution.

E-mailing from Seoul, the Tourist staff member stated that his complaint would be forwarded to the right person within the transportation division of the Gwangju Metropolitan City. Greenberg was informed that regular inspections would be carried out in September, and knowing the specific bus numbers with these side-by-side hammers, the staff member stated that this Gwangju representative would “definitely have the bus company fix the problem immediately.”

The staff member later informed Greenberg by e-mail of the change in the system, and within two weeks of their conversation, Greenberg started seeing buses with emergency hammers strategically placed throughout buses. “The speed with which they responded, and also how they were open to hearing these suggestions from a foreigner, was encouraging,” Greenberg said.

Then, while riding the bus again in December 2014, Greenberg noticed that while the hammers had been spread out, there were now screws through the safety handles, preventing their usage. Greenberg again contacted his source at the tourist office.

Two days later, his source responded with a picture showing that these screws had been drilled out. Showing his great appreciation for Greenberg’s efforts, he mentioned that if Greenberg had any other suggestions for how to make Korea a better place to visit, he would always be available through e-mail correspondence.

“I appreciate how quickly the Gwangju City Government responded. I sent an e-mail with pictures, and the gentleman from the call center said, ‘Thank you and we will change it.’ The Gwangju Transit Authority was also receptive, and I am appreciative of how easily things got done.”

Sometimes though, citizens may distrust those responsible for city management. As Greenberg says, “People think that the government separates itself from the people. But the government appreciates when people give their feedback. Individuals have an important role to play in improving our city.”

Greenberg stresses that change is in the hands of Gwangju residents, international or not. He advises Gwangju residents to reach out and let the city government know if a change should be made. English-speaking residents can do this by calling 1330, the Korean Tourist Information Center. In any case, he states it is better to give photographic documentation of the needed changes. This way, officials will have a better understanding of the problem.

Greenberg’s thoughts show that everyone has a right to a safe commute. It is our human right of public transportation safety for today and into the future.