According to government statistics about., 6.3 billion passengers were carried during the last year (19 77) in Korea. In capital city alone, more than 10 million people are utilizing the public transport system every day. The author investigated the environment of cabins of common public transports during the period of Feb. 15-Mar. 15 and Jul. 20-Aug. 20, 1977. The items subjected to the investigation were; temperature, humidity, illumination, noise and atmosphere quality which may affect the passenger´s comfort and may also act as a significant health hazard.
The following is the summary of the findings:
1) In winter, % the interior - temperature of the street buses often dropped below zero and in summer, excepting deluxe type railway coaches, both ambient temperature (2530°C) and relative humidity (70=-80%) were far above optimal ranges. Even in deluxe railway coaches, the air conditioning was not effective enough to maintain adequate humidity.
2) In most cars except deluxe railway- coaches and subway, the intensity of illumination was only 10 lux or-less (in some occasion, even less than 5 lux) and creates problems involving safety as well as protection of vision of many passengers (especially younger students) reading on board.
3) Noise level in the cabin varied from 60 to 85 dB-A, the worst result being found among cross country buses where the worn-out, rear-mounted engine was the major source of noise. As for the street bus, main sources of noise were that of heavy street traffic, old, poorly designed and maintained engine and body (chassis) itself and finally... promiscuous raising of radio volume.
4) Ventilation of the cabin, the most important winter time problem common to all vehicles, were so neglected as to raise ambient carbon dioxide concentration up to 1, 200--6, 800ppm (the highest; 9, 800ppm in street bus) and carbon monoxide 10--40ppm (the highest; 50ppm in street bus and air-conditioned railway coaches). Even though these concentrations, as high as TLV, are not likely to cause acute physiological disturbance, may aggravate symptoms of pre-existing chronic diseases such as anemia, cardio respiratory dysfunction and accelerate fatigue of passengers. The major sources of these pollutants are cod siderite to be exhaust gases from street traffic and their own engines (buses), passengers smoking on board and respiratory products of passengers.
5) The worst environmental situation was observed in street buses, which unfortunately is responsible for the most part of the transportation. The switching of ti1-~-major metropolitan public transportation system from bus to subway, therefore, is now considered urgent.
Satisfactory correction of the defects mentioned above should not be expected without solving some radical problems such as absolute deficiency in supply of public transportation service, heavy traffic congestion in downtown area, poorly equipped passenger cabins. One may suggest more practical approaches including improvement in design and maintenance of coaches, furnishing high performance ventilation system and continues effort in education of people (crews, passengers and the management of transportation company) an environmental health and public morality.
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