The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) plans to replace the entire platform screen door sensor of the subway lines 1 to 9 by 2018 with laser scanner sensors, allowing technicians to repair and maintain the screen doors on the platform.

The existing sensors are installed on both sides of the fixed doors and emergency doors of the platform screen door, meaning repair and maintenance work must be done on the side of the railway; however, the laser sensor will be installed on one side of the emergency door, so inspections and repair work can be done safely from the platform.

By December 2016, the SMG will have first replaced the sensors installed in a total of 53 stations, including all 44 stations of line 2, and nine stations of lines 1, 3, and 4, where a large number of defects are reported. The SMG plans to gradually install laser sensors for the remaining 235 platform screen doors by investing 23.5 billion won by 2018.

In addition, another project is in progress, involving the replacement of the fixed doors of the platform screen door with emergency doors that can be opened and closed at all times, allowing passengers to evacuate quickly and safely in case of an emergency. The SMG has completed the demonstration project in three stations, and plans to replace the fixed doors of the all stations of lines 1 to 8 with emergency doors by 2021.

Mayor Park Won-soon said, “We will not to put efficiency and finance before people and safety, and we will utilize all the ability of the SMG to stand against the current set of practices and privileges. We will continue to improve the defects of the city safety measures until a system that can immediately react to and deal with even minor accidents is established. The safety measures will be made public and implemented immediately thereafter.”