Gyeonggi Province plans Happy Car Sharing Project 

Governor Nam: “Gyeonggi
Province will continue to share its public assets with the people of Gyeonggi”

◇ Gyeonggi Province is planning a Happy Car Sharing Project through
which the provincial government makes its unused official vehicles available to
marginalized social groups for free on public holidays. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Je-hoon

On January 18, Gyeonggi Province announced that it is planning a Happy
Car Sharing Project through which the provincial government makes its unused
official vehicles available to marginalized social groups for free on public
holidays.

A total of 128 unused official vehicles – 90 vehicles at the main provincial government complex
in Suwon as well as 38 at the northern provincial government complex in
Uijeongbu – will be used initially for the Happy Car Sharing Project.  

The program is geared for demographic segments in need of support such as
basic living security recipients, low-income families, multi-child families,
multicultural families, and single parent families. The official vehicles can
be utilized by families to visit hometowns or for cultural activities. 

Applicants must pick up the vehicles at the provincial government complexes
in Suwon or Uijeongbu. They do not have to pay any fees to use the vehicles,
but will be required to pay for fuel and other costs incurred on the road such
as tolls.  

Gyeonggi Province will run a trial operation of the Happy Car Sharing Project
with unused official vehicles during the upcoming lunar New Year holidays. The
pilot program will be offered to basic living security recipients, low-income
families, and multi-child families recommended by each city and county.  

After the trial operation of the project during the lunar New Year
holidays, the provincial government will review possibilities for extending the
Happy Car Sharing Project until Chuseok in September throughout the 31 cities
and counties of Gyeonggi Province. This will improve access to vehicles, which
will be limited to Suwon and Uijeongbu initially, and spread the value of
sharing.  

A Gyeonggi Province official explained that once the Happy Car Sharing Project
is introduced in every city and county as planned, people will be able to access
official vehicles through their nearest resident center.  

In addition, Gyeonggi Province will increase availability from public
holidays to weekends and prepare a system through which people can book
vehicles conveniently online.  

Stressing the importance of a ‘sharing
market economy’ as one of Gyeonggi Province’s administrative directives this year, Gyeonggi Province Governor
Nam Kyung-pil said, “Public assets become even more
valuable when they’re shared with the people.” Governor Nam added, “We will continue to
introduce policies like the Happy Car Sharing Project that are aimed at sharing
public assets owned by Gyeonggi Province.” 

This project is one of the ideas announced as part of the ‘Young Idea Public Audition’ that
was staged in order to gather innovative ideas from young public officials last
year.  

Gyeonggi Province New Government Complex Establishment Task Force Officer
Kim Young-seop, who came up with the idea, said, “The Happy Car Sharing project was introduced in order to realize the
value of ‘sharing and communication’ that Gyeonggi Province promotes.” Kim also
said, “We will improve upon the system and extend it in
order to help marginalized social groups who need cars make use of official
vehicles without being burdened by costs.”

ⓒ Gyeonggi
G-News | Ha Soo-hyeon hyunie94@naver.com

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201601181745564744C048&s_code=C048