Traffic confusion on the way to work due to heavy snow On the morning of the 7th, a road near Sadang Station in Seoul is congested with snow falling overnight. Reporter Seung-Hwan Lee on January 1, 2021▶ Click here for a larger view
– Roads across Seoul have turned into a mess due to heavy snowfall that fell on the night of the 6th due to a cold wave from the Arctic. On the way home from work on the night of the 6th and on the way to work on the morning of the 7th, the citizens experienced extreme discomfort at the site of Abi Gyu-hwan. Even at work, there were confusion as office workers who couldn’t go home and go to work properly appeared one after another. Seoulmin A said, “The car was too crowded the day before, so I had no choice but to sleep at work. I am trying to go home with a car today, but I am worried if it will be possible.” The Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “It will take about four days to remove residual snow and icing,” and the confusion on the commuting route in Seoul is expected to continue for some time.
On the morning of the 7th, the train operation was delayed or stopped due to a car breakdown on Seoul Subway Lines 1 and 4, causing great inconvenience to citizens using public transportation on their way to work. The train was suspended for about an hour, and citizens who were busy commuting to work were also tied up. Mr. B, an office worker working from Gwacheon, Gwacheon to Gangnam-gu, Seoul, said, “The train was delayed at Seonbawi Station during busy rush hours. Unlike usual, I had to take a bus to Gangnam Station, so it took longer.”
Controls that were imposed on six sections of the previous day, including the Gaeunsan and Bukak Golf Courses in Seongbuk-gu, and Inwangsan-gil, were lifted at midnight on the 6th, but congestion occurred in various arterial roads such as Olympic Highway, Gangbyeonbuk-ro and Inner Ring Road.
Due to the heavy snowfall last night, the ransom of the riders soared. According to related industries on the 7th, Coupang Itsu paid 15,000 won per delivery fee to riders in some areas such as Gangnam-gu, Yongsan-gu, Geumcheon-gu, and Gwanak-gu in Seoul the day before. Considering that the fee per delivery to the region was usually 3100~4200 won, it has increased by up to 5 times. As voices over rider safety have been raised, delivery applications have also temporarily suspended food orders.
![Due to the heavy snowfall that fell from the evening of the 6th to the dawn of the 7th, the roads and sidewalks in Seoul on the 7th commute to work were messed with frozen ice roads. Near Sadang Station in Seoul, buses do not line endlessly, and private cars are reminiscent of parking lots. [이승환 기자]](https://i0.wp.com/file.mk.co.kr/meet/neds/2021/01/image_readmed_2021_21737_16100177024499896.jpg?w=600&ssl=1)
Due to the heavy snowfall that fell from the evening of the 6th to the dawn of the 7th, the roads and sidewalks in Seoul on the 7th commute to work were messed with frozen ice roads. Near Sadang Station in Seoul, buses do not line endlessly, and private cars are reminiscent of parking lots. [이승환 기자]– As citizens’ discomfort increased, criticism was also raised for the’procrastination’ of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. According to the city of Seoul on the 7th, the city upgraded its snow removal measures to the second stage at 7:20 pm after the heavy snow warning went into effect the day before, and put 15,088 people, 815 snow removal vehicles and equipment, and 5,118 tons of snow removal agents to perform snow removal work. In earnest. An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “A maximum of 4cm of snow is expected in the Seoul area from 6:00 pm to midnight on the day at 2:30 pm, and the city issued the first step of snow removal measures at 4 pm according to the manual, and 1 hour later, at 5 pm. He said, “However, as the amount of snowfall increased, such as 13 cm of heavy snow poured in Seocho-gu, there was no snow removal effect.”
As a surprise snowfall hit major urban expressways and arterial roads in Seoul, the traffic network in Seoul was paralyzed until midnight. On the 7th in the morning of Seoul, the minimum temperature dropped to -15 degrees Celsius below -15 degrees Celsius, and the main roads froze. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, only 50% of the snow removal work was completed in the case of the back roads distributed in 25 autonomous districts as of 9 am on the day, and only 10% of the reports were reported. In addition, 221 areas with weak snow removal, such as hilly roads, were also identified as having problems with pedestrians and vehicles.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s slow response was due to the replacement of both the head of the road management department (level 4 technology) and the safety officer (level 3) in charge of the snow removal work at the regular greetings announced on the 6th. The analysis is raised that it is because it did. It is said that all measures should have been taken to prevent gaps from occurring during the takeover period, but they did not.
Some pointed out that it showed the limitations of the `authority agency` system. Kim Byeong-min, a visiting professor at the Department of Public Administration, Kyung Hee University, said, “If there was an elected mayor sensitive to public opinion in Seoul, it would have taken active measures to minimize civil discomfort in advance.” “Criticized. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that it failed to respond early due to difficulties in entering snow-plow vehicles and differences in snowfall by autonomous districts.
[박승철 기자 / 최현재 기자]
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