Bus fare for the shuttle service between Incheon International Airport and Seoul will go down by 1,000 won ($0.88) next month.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that it has reached an agreement with local airport shuttle service operators on lowering bus fare by 1,000 won, closing their near eight month negotiation.

Currently, there are four companies - Airport Limousine Co., City Airport, Logis & Travel (CALT), Seoul Airport Limousine, and KAL Limousine - that offer shuttle bus service between the capital city and the country’s main air gateway Incheon International Airport, which is about 60 kilometers west from downtown Seoul.

The city government said Airport Limousine, CALT, and Seoul Airport Limousine are preparing a new fare table with the cut. KAL Limousine, a liquidity-ridden subsidiary of the country’s largest full-service carrier Korean Air Lines Co., decided to freeze fare increase.

Following the change, a one-way airport bus fare will go down by 1,000 won to 13,000 won~14,000 won. The fare cut is only for those paying with public transit card, not with cash.

The city government had recommended airport shuttle service operators to lower their fare by 10 percent or 1,500 won in December based on its study of fare system. Its recommendation was met with strong resistance from the bus operator, citing challenges from higher fuel cost and rising competition. The city reviewed their business performance and advised 1,000 won cut.

The Seoul city government vowed to work closely with the bus companies to prevent service quality decline due to the fare cut.

By Woo Je-yoon and Cho Jeehyun

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