S. Korean Updates: MOE takes the lead in national health protection by managing indoor environment of express buses

The Ministry of Environment (MOE) is opening a 「Voluntary Agreement Ceremony」for the improvement of in-bus air quality on September 4, with the Express Bus Lines Association and eight express bus companies to implement pilot project for voluntary air quality management of express buses. The agreement is expected to help protect passengers’ health and provide comfortable service and improve working environment of the drivers by putting effort into establishing voluntary in-bus air quality management system for each express bus company.

Minister of Environment Yoo Young-sook, Chairman of the Express Bus Lines Association and CEOs of the eight express bus companies will be attending the ceremony.

The project is to protect the health of passengers and drivers by ensuring safety against pollutants and maintaining in-bus comfort. It is for the first time to conduct such project for the express buses.

MOE provided Indoor Air Quality Management Guidelines in Public Transportation (‘06.12) to public transportation service companies and manufacturers of public transportation vehicles and have recommended to maintain the in-vehicle air quality at an optimal level.

Past researches on the indoor air qualities of national public transportations showed that the level satisfied the recommended standard in general. However, it was considered that management on CO₂ level of in-use express buses as the level exceeded the standard. To improve CO₂ level of in-use express buses, research project had been conducted with the Korean Society for Indoor Environment and have developed a prototype of handy CO₂ gauge to enable visual checking of in-bus air quality. After the research and the development, MOE provided the 130 prototype gauges to eight express bus companies (‘12.08), based on the number of vehicles, to support establishment of voluntary air quality management system.

During this pilot project, in-bus air quality management data of running vehicle will be automatically sent to the headquarters and made into database. Then the ventilation system will be operated based on the measurement by the real-time CO₂ gauges on the express buses and mange the CO₂ pollution.

Also, survey on passengers’ satisfaction will be conducted and co-organize the manual for management of express bus’ indoor air quality.

MOE is planning to actively solve the daily inconveniences that the citizens feel, through consistent cooperation with the Express Bus Lines Association and express bus companies so that the industry voluntarily protects the health of passengers and manages the indoor environment of buses.

< sensor (on the ceiling)>                                < display (on the driver’s console)>

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