Gangdong-gu announced that the Children's Traffic Safety Education Program (Walking School Bus) will be implemented in 2017 to help children remain safe while travelling from school, prevent crimes against and car accidents involving children, and improve their health conditions.

The Program brings together a group of 8 and 9 year-old elementary school kids walking home from school in the same direction under the supervision of traffic safety advisors. Since it started in March of this year, 28 advisors have guided 120 students of 14 elementary schools including Gangdong Elementary School along 28 routes, contributing to prevent car accidents involving or crimes against children in the surrounding areas of the schools and improve their health.

In particular, Gangdong-gu has continuously increased the number of schools that are included in the program since they initially performed a demonstration project at 9 elementary schools amongst 26 elementary schools in the jurisdiction in 2010. As a result, 14 schools currently take part in the program since March 2017 upon the request of parents and children, who have participated in and are satisfied with the program, to augment the number of schools and routes.

With continued interest in the prevention of crimes against and car accidents involving children, Gangdong-gu has been continously expanding the scope of the Children's Traffic Safety Education Program, improving school zones, building special streets for safe walking in school zones, and upgrading solar-powered LED signage for school zones.

A Gangdong-gu official said, “As the need for traffic safety of children who walk home alone increases, the Children's Traffic Safety Education Program will bring a synergistic effect to prevent car accidents involving and crimes against children that might occur around schools and contribute to the health of children as they walk home along the routes from school.”

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