Spatial Pattern of Inter-city Bus Service Network and the Competition of Bus Firms in Chungchong buk-do (North Province), Korea

Abstract

With the increment of transport demands, new construction and improvement of roads are being progressed. At the same time, traffics have been increased in periods of the rapid economic growth since 1962 in Korea. With the increment of automobiles, regional connection by the flow of automobiles is recognized as important research theme. Inter-city bus service as public transportation is the important means of passenger transport to serve for short and middle distance in Korea.As regional characteristics are clarified by passenger transport business of inter-city bus, it is very important for us to explain the regional structure by the progression of transport industry.Through this study, I attempt to clarify spatial patterns of the development of service network and competition among inter-city bus firms in Chungchong buk-do.I used the data of Inter-city Bus Service published by the Ministry of Transportation and the data of the Lists of membership published by the Association of National Bus Transportation Business in 1990. The number of firm in this study is 6 in Chungchong buk-do and 32 in other provinces.The analysis runs as follows: (1) Bus service network of inter-city bus was analysed to classify intra-province service and inter-province service. (2) The comparison with an inter-city bus and a cross-country bus of Chungchong buk-do and those of the others was analysed to understand the competition of route networks.The results are as follows:1. Route networks of intra-province bus service are concentrately established between Chongju (the largest city and the seat of provincial government in Chungchong buk-do) and Chongju (secondary city). Service network between Poun and Okchon county, between Poun and Youngdong county is established by intra-county bus in southern Chungchong buk-do, because service route network by inter-city bus is nearly not established in southern Chungchong buk-do.2. Service network by inter-city bus between Chungchong buk-do and other provinces largely means that the extension of intra-province route to major city and town of contiguous provinces. And the extension of service route toward Chungchong buk-do by the bus firms of other provinces is based on the alienation among firms. And each firm has the vested rights with the relationship to service route in the time acquisition of permission and license in given route.3. In Chungchong buk-do, the competition among buk firms between Chongju and Chungju is embarked by bus firms in Chungchong buk-do. And in southern Chungchong buk-do, the competition of bus routes appeared between bus firms of Chungchong nam-do (southern province) and Chungchong buk-do, and in northern Chungchong buk-do, the competition of bus routes appeared among Kyunggi do, Kyungsang buk-do and Chungchong buk-do. These phenomena are based on following reasons i) the geographical site of Chungchong buk-do, ii) route extension of cross-country bus firm of Kyunggi do which has many passengers demand, iii) neighboring Taejeon, and iv) decreasing population in Chungchong buk-do.