Ticketing System Error Causes Widespread Disruption at Bus Terminals Nationwide

SEOUL: A massive ticketing disruption affected bus terminals nationwide on Sunday, attributed to a malfunction in the Tmoney ticketing system, resulting in significant inconvenience for travelers. According to Yonhap News Agency, the disruption began at 1:06 p.m. within the Tmoney smart ticketing network and persisted for approximately two hours. Tmoney Co., the operator of the smart transportation cards, confirmed that the system was restored by around 3:10 p.m. The malfunction led to halted electronic ticketing at roughly 140 bus terminals across the country, including the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in southern Seoul. In response to the disruption, officials at affected bus terminals implemented an emergency ticketing system, allowing tickets to be issued and fares to be collected in cash or through account transfers. Some terminal officials permitted passengers to board buses after verifying their names and other information, with the arrangement to settle fares post-travel. The error also impacted some taxis utilizing the Tmoney app, which experienced difficulties in processing fares and registering operations due to the service disruption. Tmoney Co. identified a system failure at its Bupyeong center in Incheon as the cause of the ticketing network freeze and pledged to develop measures to compensate affected consumers. The company, alongside the transportation ministry, is investigating the root cause of the disruption. This incident follows a similar ticketing disruption in October 2021 at the Seoul bus terminal, which was also attributed to an error within the Tmoney network system.