Pusan National University (PNU), which had been troubled by illegal parking, carried out “traffic control.” With enhanced enforcement, it is expected that illegal vehicles threatening safety with each new semester will disappear. 

Starting from March 1st, PNU will impose administrative sanctions on illegal parking and over-speeding vehicles. On October 6th, 2023, the “PNU Traffic Management Regulations” were revised, allowing for substantive penalties for regulation violations. The Division of General Affairs cited the background for the revision as the persistent disorder in campus traffic and the increased risk of accidents due to the rapidly increasing number of campus traffic vehicles, since the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the problem of traffic disorder in the Busan campus has been pointed out several times (reported by “Channel PNU” on April 7th 2023 and September 22nd, 2022, etc).

Vehicles caught in the crackdown will be sanctioned based on Article 8 of the revised “PNU Traffic Management Regulations.” The sanctions for illegal parking and over-speeding violations are the same. The sanctions are “Caution” for the first violation, “Warning” for the second violation, and “One-month vehicle registration suspension” for each subsequent violation, thereafter. The sanctioned records will be cleared on a semester basis.

Illegal parking enforcement will be handled by “enforcement officials” stationed throughout the campus. According to officials from the Division of General Affairs, enforcement officials stationed in each zone will identify illegally parked vehicles at intervals of one to two hours. Upon the initial discovery of a violation, warning materials will be attached, and guidance will be provided to available parking spaces, requesting the vehicles to be relocated. If there is no movement after the request, enforcement measures will be taken.

Enforcement areas include areas with secured parking spaces and areas at risk of accidents. Areas with secured parking spaces include the Business Building, the Social Sciences Building, Seonghak Hall, Jayoo Hall, Information Technology Education Center, the Research & Laboratory Building, the Research & Laboratory Building #2 and the Core Research Facilities Building. Parking outside designated areas in these zones will result in enforcement. Parking is prohibited in areas at risk of accidents such as the road beside the College of Human Ecology Laboratory Building and the road between the Arts Building and the Pharmaceutical Research Building.

Speed enforcement will utilize unmanned surveillance devices. According to the Division of General Affairs, PNU has identified areas prone to speeding and accidents due to the high slopes, and plans to set up unmanned surveillance devices in four areas. The four areas to catch vehicles traveling over 20km/h are the Woongbee Hall to the Jayoo Hall, the Law Building to the Saebyeokbeol Library, the Music Building to Jangseungteo, and the South Gate to the Building of Construction. Speed indication devices will also be newly installed in these zones.

However, concerns have been raised about the backlash against targeting only campus-registered vehicles. Since campus traffic enforcement is a system outside the Road Traffic Act, external vehicles cannot be targeted. An official from the Division of General Affairs, expressing concerns, stated, “We are considering methods to impose practical disadvantages on external vehicles that violate campus traffic regulations and plan to consult with relevant agencies (Geumjeong Police Station, Vehicle registration office) to ensure understanding and cooperation from the community.”

Reporter Yoon Ji-Won

Translated by Ha Chae-Won