– System Participants Will Be Exempted from Public Parking Fees and Congestion Charges

Gyeonggi Province will introduce the “No Driving Day” System on October 1, 2008, to encourage commuters to voluntarily refrain from driving one day each week.

The province aims to reduce traffic congestion, save energy, and improve air quality through this system. It announced on September 29th that the system will be introduced first in 14 cities that have a large number of commuters to Seoul, including Seongnam, Goyang, Bucheon, Yongin, Anyang, Namyangju, Euijeongbu, Gwangmyeong, Gunpo, Kimpo, Guri, Hanam, Euiwang, and Gwacheon.

The system is applied to non-commercial passenger vehicles with less than 10 seats. The system will operate from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekdays; weekends and public holidays will be excluded.

Participants are required to install a dedicated electronic tag to the front side of their vehicle. For registration of electronic tags, please visit the system website (green-driving.gg.co.kr), or one of the resident centers in the 14 participating cities. Electronic tags are distributed at all resident centers of the 14 cities as well as Seoul, so participants are recommended to use the nearest resident center.

Participants in the program are provided with numerous advantages, including a 20% discount on public parking fees in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, a 10% to 20% discount on car repair and car wash charges, and a 50% discount on the congestion charges applied at Namsan Tunnels No. 1 and No. 3. Building owners are provided with a 20% exemption from congestion contributions when the owners and their employees all participate in the system.

Gyeonggi Province will install RFID Monitor for wireless monitoring at main roads of the province in order to maximize the benefits of the system. When a participant violates the rule three times, his or her incentives will be suspended or cancelled.

Passenger vehicles of Gyeonggi Province make up 50% of all vehicular transportation. When 500,000 passenger vehicles participate in the system, the traffic volume will decrease by 3.62%, and the driving speed on main roads will increase by 1.86%, easing traffic congestion.

An official of the Transportation Policy Department of Gyeonggi Province urged the active participation of residents in the system, saying “The annual benefit from the system will reach KRW 686 billion, and reduce CO2 emissions, the major cause of global warming, by 190,000 tons every year.”