Disability rights activists halt commuter buses, drawing mixed public reactions

Disability rights advocates resumed a regular “bus-boarding” protest in Seoul on Wednesday for the first time in 22 years, calling on the Seoul Metropolitan Government to improve access to public buses for people with disabilities. Members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, along with other human rights activists, gathered at a bus stop in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno District, central Seoul, at 8 a.m. The protesters, many of whom use wheelchairs, boarded arriving buses in groups of two or three. They used wheelchair ramps or lifts to board low-floor buses. On buses with steps, some left their wheelchairs and pulled themselves up the stairs using their arms and legs. At one point, the protesters moved onto the road and blocked traffic after police attempted to divert approaching buses away from the stop where the demonstration was taking place. The protesters criticized the Seoul city government for failing to fulfill its pledge to replace all city buses with low-floor models by 2025. They said people with disabilities remained unable to move freely around the city despite the e