On the first day of the mandatory use of a subway mask, there was no confusion … “Use it only when it’s full, passenger confusion”

Check-in 2020.05.13 10:31
The | Revision 2020.05.13 10:50

“Starting today, passengers can be restricted from boarding without a mask. Wear a mask when traveling to avoid crown spread.”

In front of the Wangsimni Station entrance in Seoul at 8:00 a.m. On the 13th, the first day the mandatory use of a mask began in the Seoul subway. Two station attendants, in fluorescent vests, stood in front of the ticket gates to check if the passengers were wearing masks.

Station officials asked a man without a mask to wear a mask after he stopped when he tried to pass the front door. In the subway transfer section, station attendants were also assigned to wear masks.

A station employee at Wangsimni Station said: “More than 100 passengers crossed the ticket gate in 10 minutes, but only 3 people did not wear a mask. “I bought a mask.”

The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to limit the boarding of passengers without masks when the congestion level of the subway (the number of passengers compared to the boarding capacity) reached more than 150% on day 13, reaching the “ congestion stage ” which is difficult to move on the train. The measure was introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections and to support “staying away from life.”

On the morning of the 13th, as a result of visiting major subway stations in Seoul, such as Wangsimni Station, Dangsan Station, Gongdeok Station, and Seodaemun Station in Seoul, citizens generally followed the guidelines for wearing the mask the first day of system implementation.

Office worker Kim Mo, who found herself on the way to work, said, “I was generally uncomfortable because I wore a mask when using public transportation.

Most stations recommend wearing a mask from time to time through advertisements in the story, regardless of whether the subway was congested or not. On the information panel in the waiting room of the subway station and on the platform, there was a video showing the main areas of congestion during rush hour. On the wall of the subway platform, there was a notice indicating preventive measures in daily life, such as “you should wear a mask.” The skins are also included in convenience vending machines installed in various parts of the story, making them immediately available for purchase.

However, some citizens have expressed concern. It is difficult to require that the mask be worn at subway stations with a relatively small number of passengers, because only highly congested subways are subject to wearing masks.

In the case of Seodaemun Station and Gongdeok Station, which they visited on this day, there were no personnel to watch in front of the entrances. Gyudeok Jo, director of the Gongdeok station in Seoul, said: “It was classified as a lightly congested station, so there were no separate staff to verify whether or not to wear a mask.”

A ‘dead zone’ is also reported to occur when a passenger boarding without a mask at a low-congestion station passes through a congested station. There is no way to act in the middle because the person without a mask has already boarded the subway.

An office employee I met at Seodaemun Station said, “Why can’t I make him leave when a maskless passenger at a low-congestion station passes a crowded transit station like Sindorim or the Yeongdeungpo-gu office. ? ” I’m confused. ”

An official with the Seoul Transportation Corporation said: “It is difficult to deploy law enforcement personnel on all subways.”

On some routes on line 1, there was a section where the mandatory mask wear system did not apply. This is because the Seoul Transportation Corporation operates from Seoul Station to Cheongnyangni Station, but the rest of the Line 1 section is operated by the Korea Railways Corporation (KORAIL).

An official with the Korea Railway Corporation said: “The route extends to Incheon and Chungcheong, so there are many long-distance passengers, making it a burden to warn passengers not to wear masks.” “Said.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Transportation Corporation announced that it plans to induce the use of masks by providing information about the expected congestion section to citizens every day at 6 PM on the home page and through social media (SNS).