Koreans needed Imperial police-issued ‘travel purpose certificates’ to travel on buses and trains by April 1944, police cracked down on female passengers for illegal food vending and ‘unnecessary and non-urgent travel’

In the midst of World War II, life in Korea under Imperial Japanese rule was marked by increasing restrictions and control, particularly on the everyday activities of ordinary citizens. A series of articles from Keijo Nippo, the largest newspaper in colonial Korea, published in April 1944, highlights the regime's oppressive measures to manage the country's strained railway system. These announcements shed light on the strict wartime regulations that sought to curtail overcrowding on public transportation by imposing severe limitations on who could travel, when, and for what purpose.

Brown commuter train pass (left) and green worker bus pass (right).

One such announcement focused on female passengers, targeting women who were deemed to be traveling for "unnecessary and non-urgent" reasons. The authorities cracked down on illegal food vending on trains, with vendors – likely selling tteokbokki or similar items – risking arrest for their activities. In an era of extreme scarcity, these women were probably just trying to make ends meet, much like Sunja's struggles in Pachinko with her kimchi business. However, the colonial regime's economic police maintained an army of informants, leaving these vendors constantly under threat of punishment, illustrating how survival efforts were criminalized.

Another critical regulation required passengers to possess ‘travel certificates,’ documents that had previously been easier to obtain from local neighborhood or town councils. Starting in April 1944, these certificates could only be issued by the police, who were already overwhelmed by other wartime duties. These travel certificates also had the added requirement to state an explicit 'reason for travel'. This added layer of bureaucracy made it even more challenging for ordinary people to travel freely, emphasizing the regime’s growing control over personal movement.

Further restrictions included new rules that made it illegal for passengers to disembark from trains before reaching their designated destination, even for short distances, and the introduction of special transit passes that were limited to specific groups, such as commuters, workers, and students. Despite these rigorous measures, an article from August 1945 revealed that overcrowding on trains persisted, likely exacerbated by the ongoing shortages of train cars, parts, and labor during the war. These regulations not only controlled movement but also reflected the broader wartime hardships and the oppressive reach of the colonial government over daily life in Korea.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 3, 1944

**Wartime Notice**

Extraordinary wartime measures on the railway system have been further strengthened, yet the number of inconsiderate passengers does not seem to have noticeably decreased.

Until two or three days ago, there were people who had purchased tickets but were unable to board, resulting in daily ticket refunds averaging around 1,500 yen at the transportation bureaus in front of the stations.

Needless to say, most of these were short-distance travelers, or individuals whose travels were completely unrelated to the war effort. From various perspectives, one would want to say that this is wasteful.

Thus, as an additional emergency measure, it is worth considering the restriction of short-distance travel for women, excluding families of those being transferred or reassigned. It is not unreasonable to assume that most of these women are unnecessary and non-urgent travelers.

Among them, there are even women who bring homemade rice cakes into the train cars, targeting the passengers’ hunger, and selling them at black-market prices. Naturally, they are being dealt with by the transportation police and by the economic police.

Furthermore, there are concerns that so-called travel certificates issued by town representatives, ward leaders, or patriotic group leaders may be influenced by favoritism. Although it is true that these individuals have become busier recently, the travel certificates should be strictly limited to those issued by the police.

In that sense, what about appointing privately funded police officers in some capacity as railway police officers? It is not an ideal approach, but for people who will not comply unless confronted by the power of the police, there may be no other option.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-04-03

 

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 18, 1944

**Guidelines for Train Travel**

**Cooperation in Transportation Efforts**

**Fighting Households**

Since the implementation of the railway passenger transportation restrictions on April 1, non-essential and non-urgent travelers have decreased. However, the situation is not yet fully under control. Nevertheless, we trust in the pride of the Japanese people and their cooperation towards the completion of the sacred war. Some people are still not fully familiar with the new regulations that came into effect after April 1, causing congestion. Therefore, we would like to present some guidelines to ensure smooth and clear transportation service.

First, regarding the Travel Purpose Certificate, we would like to suggest the following format for use at Seoul Station. However, please note that even if you have a certificate, it does not guarantee that you will be able to purchase a ticket as desired due to various circumstances. Please be aware of this in advance.

**Travel Purpose Certificate Format**:

• Address
• Occupation and Social Status
• Name and Age: Male/Female (As of the Current Year)
• Reason for Travel
• Travel Date: From (Month, Day) to (Month, Day)
• Travel Zone: From (Station) to (Station), One-way/Round-trip
• Date: (Showa Year, Month, Day)
• Certifier/Official Seal

Certified as above

The primary difference in this new format from previous versions is the clear specification of the travel zone.

Further, express and direct trains require reservations. If you miss your designated train due to personal reasons, the ticket will become invalid, so please be mindful of this. From now on, reserved trains will be managed by train numbers, so please remember your train number. Generally, ascending trains (towards Seoul) will have even numbers, and descending trains (away from Seoul) will have odd numbers. Please also note that general passengers are not allowed on commuter trains, so please be aware of this.

Regarding restrictions on disembarking en route, or getting off the train before reaching your designated destination, in general, it is prohibited to disembark en route at stations less than 40 kilometers from your departure station. However, passengers departing from Seoul station are prohibited from disembarking at stations within approximately 100 kilometers of Seoul station. Therefore, for trips departing from Seoul station, on the Seoul-Jinju Line, disembarking en route is prohibited between Seoul and Cheonan stations. On the Gyeongui Line, disembarking en route is prohibited between Seoul and Kaesong stations. On the Gyeongwon Line, disembarking en route is prohibited between Seoul and Cheorwon stations. On the Gyeonggyeong Line, disembarking en route is prohibited between Seoul and Yangpyeong stations.

Regarding luggage, each person is allowed one piece of up to 50 kilograms. For items up to 30 kilograms, there is no additional charge, but if it exceeds this, the entire weight will be charged. Hand-carried items are limited to two pieces of medium-sized trunks. If you observe these guidelines, we believe we can achieve smooth and convenient transportation service.

**[Statement by Mr. Yamada, Chief Passenger Officer, Seoul Station]**

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-04-18

 

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 19, 1944

**Seoul Electric Railway’s Commuter Passes Are On Sale**

*Train Passes are Brown**

**Bus Passes are Green**

In response to the fare revisions enacted on the 1st of the month, Seoul Electric Railway will soon begin selling commuter, worker, and student passes to regulate transportation usage. There are four types of passes: commuter pass, worker pass, student pass Type A, and student pass Type B. The commuter pass, including tax, is priced at 3 yen and 70 sen. The worker pass, tax exempt, costs 2 yen and 50 sen. The student passes are divided into two categories: Type A, for secondary school students and below, is tax exempt and priced at 2 yen; Type B, for technical school students and above, is also tax exempt and costs 2 yen and 50 sen.

The train passes will have a brown background with prominent month digits printed, clearly displaying the travel route to prevent unauthorized use. The bus passes will be green and will also specify the boarding and disembarking zones. These passes are available for bulk purchases through affiliated offices, companies, or organizations and will not be sold to individuals.

As for usage guidelines, the following will render a pass invalid and subject to confiscation: purchasing passes under false pretenses regarding travel zones, using passes under another person's name, using passes outside the designated travel route, or altering any printed details on the pass. *[Photo: Samples of the Commuter Passes]*

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-04-19

 

[Transcription]

京城日報 1944年4月3日

血戦録

鉄道の決戦非常措置はますます強化されたが、心なき旅客の数は、格別減ったとも見られない。

両三日前迄は、切符は買ったが乗れなかったという人たちによって、駅前の交通公社では、一日に平均千五百円内外の払い戻しを行ったという。

いうまでもなく、それ等は主として近距離客であって、いわゆる決戦旅行に縁の遠い人たちばかりである。いろいろの点から見て、無駄なことだといいたくなる。

そこで、この上の非常措置として、転任、転勤者の家族は別として、婦人の近距離旅行を抑制することも考えられる。彼女等は大部分不急不要の客とみて差支えない。

中には、手製の餅などを車内に持ち込んで、乗客の空腹を狙って、それを闇値で売っている女すらある。当然、移動警察、経済警察の人たちの手で処置されてはいる。

いわゆる旅行証明書なるものも、町総代や区長、班長のものでは、情実を伴う心配がある。近頃ますます忙しくなって来たことは認めるが、これは飽くまで警察発行のものに限ったがよい。

その意味で、請願巡査が何かの形式で、鉄道警察官といったようなものを置く方法は如何であろうか。好むことではないが、警察の力でなければ納得せぬ人間にはこれより方法がないかもしれぬ。

京城日報 1944年4月18日

汽車旅行の心得

輸送陣の協力へ

戦う家庭

四月一日より実施している鉄道旅客輸送制限によって不急不要の旅行者は減少されましたが、今はなお完全とは申されません。然し私は日本人の矜持で皆さんの聖戦完遂への協力を信じています。四月一日以後の措置について今なお熟知していない方がいて混雑をきたしますから、乗車上の注意を申し上げ、円滑明朗な輸送奉公をしたいと思います。

まず旅行目的証明書のことですが、京城駅では次の様式をすすめしたいと思います。けれども種々の事情で証明書をお持ちになっても必ずしも希望通りの乗車券を購入し得るとは限りませんから、そのことだけは予めおふくみ願いたいと思います。

旅行証明書：

• 住所
• 職業身分
• 氏名年齢：男女（当 年）
• 旅行理由
• 乗車月日：自〇月〇日至〇月〇日
• 乗車区間：自〇駅至〇駅片道・往復
• 昭和〇年〇月〇日
• 〇〇〇〇証明者・認 印

右証明す

右の様式で従来と違う所は旅行区間を明記することです。

次は急行及び直通列車は指定を要します。もし指定列車に自己の都合で乗らなかった場合はその切符は無効になりますから御注意下さい。これからは指定列車は番号でやりますから列車番号を御記憶下さい。大体上り列車は偶数で下りは奇数番号です。なお通勤列車には一般乗車は出来ませんから、その点御諒承下さい。

次に途中下車の制限に就いてですが、原則としては各発駅から四十粁未満は禁止です。京城からは約百粁程度以内は各駅相互間の発着旅客は途中下車は出来ません。ですから京普線では京城より天安間、京義線では開城間、京元線では鐵原間、京慶線では楊平間です。

次に手荷物は一人一個五十粁までです。三十粁までは無賃ですが、それを越した場合は全部を有賃にします。手廻品は中型トランク程度の物二箇に限ります。以上御注意下されば事務簡便明朗な輸送奉公が出来ると思います。【京城駅山田旅客主任談】

京城日報 1944年4月19日

京電の定期券発売

電車は茶色

バスは緑色

足の規正を行って一日から乗車賃改正をみた京電では近く通勤者、工員、学生定期券を発売する。種類は通勤、工員、学生通学甲乙券の四種類で通勤券は税込三円七十銭、工員券税なし二円五十銭、通学券は甲中等以下税なしの二円、乙専門学校以上税なしの二円五十銭で、電車定期券は茶の地色に大きく月の数字を浮かせ乗車系統が明記され不正乗車を防止する。

バス定期券は緑色でこれ又乗降区間を記載する。購入は所属官庁、会社、団体等の一括購入で個人的には発売しない。

なお使用上の注意としては乗車区間を偽り購入した時、他人の名義の定期券を使用した時、乗車径路外の使用を行った時、券面記載事項を塗抹改変した時等は定期券は一切無効として没収される。【写真＝定期券の見本】

Imperial Japan’s railway system in Korea was falling apart by early August 1945 with severe overcrowding, parts and labor shortages, exhausted staff causing more accidents, train conductors gone rogue …

This article offers a fascinating glimpse into the decrepit state of the streetcar system in Seoul at the beginning of August 1945, a mere two weeks or so before the end of World War II and the liberation of Korea from Imperial Japanese colonial rule.

Original caption: Executive Maehara guiding workers on-site

Three years of war apparently took a terrible toll on the city's streetcar infrastructure, with shortages of everything from labor to materials, and repair backlogs increasing. Even in the best of times, the streetcar system was already struggling with crowding, as shown in these newspaper photos from November 28, 1939:

Fewer operational streetcars meant even more overcrowding, which was exacerbated by passengers who brought oversized luggage on board, often stuffed with scarce food supplies brought in from the countryside. Fewer staff also meant overworked staff who were exhausted and more prone to mistakes, which led to more accidents. Similar scenes were likely playing out elsewhere in Imperial Japan in both the wartime and immediate postwar periods.

The colonial reporter interviewed two people for this piece: one was President Hozumi of Seoul Electric Railway, and the other was Chief Conductor Maehara whom the reporter accompanied on a field trip to at least three of the train stations along a short stretch of what is now Line 2 of Seoul Metro: Kōgane Station (present-day Euljiro-1-ga), Eiraku Station (present-day Euljiro-3-ga), and Kōgane 4-Chōme Station (present-day Euljiro-4-ga). Maehara and the reporter witnessed the serious overcrowding and dysfunctional train operations first hand, such as train clumping and 'tandem trains' (a larger car pulling a smaller one). The interviewees were surprisingly frank and open about the ongoing problems, acknowledging room for improvement. As a propaganda news feature, colonial authorities may have published these interviews to address mounting public anger over worsening train services.

Maehara directed special criticism at rogue train conductors who were responsible for the phenomenon of trains pretending to be broken ('moving broken cars'), trains speeding away even though there is still space for more passengers ('jump trains'), trains that ignore waiting passengers at stops ('slipping trains'), and trains running without clear destinations ('black trains'), which he attributed to lack of adequate crew education. Perhaps some of these 'black trains' were commandeered by anti-regime elements, like Korean nationalists and revolutionaries.

This article uses one Korean word, "回車 (회차)", which means "a train reversing direction at the end of its route and heading back in the opposite direction". The corresponding Japanese word would be 折り返し列車. In fact, the word 回車 does not appear in any online Japanese dictionary, not even in the Weblio dictionary which usually includes words used during this period. Did the variety of Japanese spoken in Korea at the time include this word as a special loanword, or did a Korean writer accidentally or intentionally slip it into this article? In the two years of reading Keijo Nippo, this is arguably the first word I have ever encountered in the pages of the newspaper where I had to consult a Korean dictionary to confirm its definition.

I marked and labeled the train stations mentioned in this article along with some additional landmarks in the following illustrated 1929 map, which can be found at this history website. This map is a panoramic view of Seoul (then called Keijō in Japanese) as viewed in the northeast direction.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 3, 1945

Trains, Run Smoothly! 

President Hozumi Discusses Alleviating Congestion 

Struggling with Repairs

Just when you think a train has finally arrived, you are caught in a crush of people, a scene of chaos and agony—it is truly a transportation hell. The issue of transportation is a source of distress for the people of Seoul. Is there any measure that can alleviate the congestion? This question, along with another concern, was brought to the headquarters of the Seoul Electric Railway Company, leading to a conversation with President Hozumi about running the trains.

The Wish to Eliminate Faulty Cars

Q: What is the fundamental cause of the transportation congestion?
A: In the past, we prided ourselves on operating 95% of all vehicles. Now, however, we cannot keep up with repairs. We lack enough cars, and we cannot procure motors. We are forcing trains to run in tandem (a larger car pulling a smaller one), but this strain is causing even more breakdowns. The rate of absenteeism among crew members is also increasing.

Q: While the material shortages are understandable, could not congestion be alleviated somewhat by having technical school students help out with repairs and by reinforcing labor management?
A: Well, is that something only the electric company can do? Recently, due to the rain, the number of faulty cars has increased. Of course, repairs are essential, and we must also consider the job security of the crew members. Support from relevant government agencies for food supplies and materials is necessary, and raising public awareness of transportation etiquette is also part of the solution.

Q: What about reducing unnecessary passengers?
A: Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in people going out to buy food. They bring large loads, which contributes to the congestion. But then, what qualifies as a truly necessary passenger? People going out to buy food are doing so to survive, so you cannot exactly say their trips are unnecessary. We need to be more thoughtful about car assignments.

Q: It seems accidents have been on the rise as well.
A: In general, people are paying less attention. This applies to the crew as well. I am deeply concerned about this. But when I look at the current situation, it seems like a competition between inconsiderate people. Seoul Electric runs the trains, but there are other institutions responsible for public transportation training and etiquette. I think it is necessary to retrain the drivers.

Q: Does Seoul Electric have any decisive measures to alleviate congestion?
A: Listen, when there is little food, people fight. The same applies to transportation—if we had enough cars, there would be no problem. For that, we need to gather more hands for repairs. If we can do that, restoring the system to its former state is not impossible.

Dull Train Operations

Chief Conductor Maehara brainstorms solutions

In terms of life in the city center, both moral integrity and clarity are swayed when the charm of smooth train operations is significantly disturbed. We accompanied a senior official from the Seoul Electric Railway Company as he took command on the front lines, observing the real situation on the ground.

"Don't push, you will get crushed! What are you saying? Don't dawdle!"

At the peak of rush hour, around 5 PM, near the entrance of Kōgane Station (present-day Euljiro-1-ga), a middle-aged, distinguished conductor was hard at work directing passengers, urging, "Please move in an orderly manner, there is still room, so please move inside." This dedicated conductor is none other than Mr. Maehara, a senior executive of Seoul Electric. At the request of the reporter, he kindly agreed to discuss the congestion issue on the spot.

"How can we squeeze in like this? People are not cargo!" a loud voice of anger came from the crowd, and Maehara, with a wry smile, slightly lowered his head.

Reporter: "Do you often ride the trains yourself?"
Maehara: "Of course, I am on the trains practically every third day."

After some light banter, the reporter and Maehara continued their conversation on the crowded train.

Reporter: "Is there no way to alleviate this congestion? Recently, I heard about a passenger who broke two ribs and had to be hospitalized."
Maehara: "It is embarrassing for the company that we are unable to adequately serve the needs of wartime transportation. Above all, we simply do not have enough trains. Compared to the end of last year, we have reduced the number of cars by an additional 30%. On top of that, 25% of the cars that leave the depot each day return due to breakdowns."

Reporter: "Is there no way to strengthen your repair capabilities?"
Maehara: "We lack enough workers."

Reporter: "You cannot just leave it at that, can you?"
Maehara: "Of course, the trains are just as important as weapons, and we are striving to train and recruit workers. We are waiting for the implementation of new regulations that will stabilize the conditions for our employees, but I regret that the authorities are slow in taking action."

Reporter: "Given the extreme reduction in the number of trains, isn't it vital for the company to implement bold new ideas for introducing new train management technologies?"
Maehara: "We are considering it, but it is difficult."

At Eiraku Station (present-day Euljiro-3-ga), many passengers got off, and a good number of waiting passengers were able to board. Maehara was closely examining intersection technologies.

Reporter: "For example, cars converge on this line from both the Namdaemun and Seodaemun platforms, so if people walk to this point, it should be easier to board. If the two platforms at the Kōgane Station entrance were consolidated on the Kōgane line side, the train utilization rate would increase significantly, don’t you think?"
Maehara: "We would not know for sure without precise calculations. It is a complex problem involving advanced mathematical 'combinations.' Moreover, the stop-and-go signals are controlled by entirely separate entities, which complicates matters."

Reporter: "Have you tried calculating it precisely?"
Maehara: "We have not. But breaking the usual norms of train operations may indeed be essential."

We disembarked at Kōgane 4-Chōme Station (present-day Euljiro-4-ga). There we saw a line of ten "tandem trains" (a larger car pulling a smaller one). Maehara, embarrassed, remarked, "Well, here comes another tandem." When we asked the cause at the front of the line, we learned it was a motor failure.

Maehara: "It is generally the same things: motor failures, brake issues, ball bearings, or circuit breakers causing what we call 'clumped operations'—and this greatly inconveniences passengers. Many of the faults cannot be repaired on-site."

Reporter: "How many 'clumps' occur each day?"
Maehara: "I do not know. We do not receive reports on each one."

Reporter: "Is there no enthusiasm for gathering data on such issues?"
Maehara: "Handling clumps while trains are in operation is a longstanding problem that the railway society has been studying, but with breakdowns happening so frequently, we must indeed put more effort into it. We would like to draw on the wisdom of scientists in the city. Seoul Electric is also studying this issue, but there are already more than ten different causes of clumping alone."

As an experiment, we tried recording the [westbound] passing trains headed for Kōgane Station and the [eastbound] passing trains bound for 6-chōme (present-day Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station). From 6:51 PM, we observed the following departures:

• 6:51 PM, train headed for Kōgane Station
• 7:00 PM, train headed for Kōgane Station
• 7:16 PM, train headed for Kōgane Station
• 7:17 PM, train headed for Kōgane Station
• 7:20 PM, train headed for Kōgane Station
• 7:25 PM, train headed for Kōgane Station

It was not until 30 minutes later that a Wangsimni-bound train finally arrived. It was a small train, with passengers spilling out from both entrances. The train slowly came to a stop, packed so dangerously that it was unbearable to watch. Following that, two Wangsimni-bound trains arrived, and ironically, the third one was nearly empty. For a line that transports 90,000 commuters a day, the operation of the Wangsimni line was nothing short of terribly inefficient, a 'skewer dumpling' style of operation.

Reporter: "What about adjusting train destinations at key points to better manage flow?"
Maehara: "Passengers are uncooperative, and changing the destination in the middle of a route only causes more confusion."

Reporter: "If leaving the task of managing the confusion to lower-level employees results in further disorder, then it would be better to assign staff at key points. The real issue is breaking away from outdated concepts of train operation. It seems we are too bound by conventional practices."

At the train station in Donam-dong there was still a massive crowd of about 400 people waiting. At its peak, the crowd can reach 600. At Jongno 4-Chōme (present-day Jongno 4-ga), another large crowd was waiting. The route, which carries 80,000 daily commuters with only eight cars, was managed relatively smoothly, but the Kōgane Line saw passenger surges that drastically reduced operational efficiency. While passenger management in 'skewer dumpling trains' is going relatively well, there are still issues such as trains pretending to be broken ('moving broken cars'), trains speeding away even though there is still space for more passengers ('jump trains'), trains that ignore waiting passengers at stops ('slipping trains'), and trains running without clear destinations ('black trains'). Clearly, there are still significant gaps in the education of the train operators.

Maehara: "There is clearly a lack of adequate training for the crew, but it seems we are still feeling the aftereffects of having overemphasized the improvement of train turnaround rates for a period. We are determined to make every effort to address this."

While there are certainly ongoing challenges and 'impossible' situations, Maehara’s dedication to his work is evident. He is known for late-night sessions with experts, formulating plans to improve operations. The people of Seoul have great expectations for him as the new senior executive at Seoul Electric.
[Photo: Executive Maehara guiding workers on-site]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年8月3日
上手に電車よ走れ
穂積社長と混雑緩和問答
修理困難に閉口

やっと電車が来たかと思うと押し合いへし合い阿鼻叫喚、正しく交通地獄だ。戦う京城府民の『足』の問題は悩みの種である。輸送緩和へなんとか施策はないものか。府民の此の苦情を京電本社へ持ち込み打開究明の二題＝先ず穂積社長の肚を叩いて電車を走らそうとする問答

一掃したい故障車
問：輸送が混雑する根本原因は何か？
答：もとは全車輌の九十五パーセントを動かしていたのが京電の自慢だったが、今は修繕が行き届かない。車輌も足らないモーターも手に入らない、そこで無理に親子電車を引張るのだが無理をするから更に故障が増えるという始末だ。乗務員の欠勤率も揚っている。
問：資材難は仕方ないとしても技術者現役生徒の勤労奉仕も車輌修繕を手伝わしたり労務管理を徹底すれば或る程度混雑は緩和されないか？
答：夫は君、電気会社だけすることかね。最近雨の為に故障車は増えているし修理の手は勿論緊要だし乗務員の身分的安定も考慮せねばならぬ。従業員の食糧、資材斡旋等関係官庁の助力が必要で府民の交通道徳の昂揚も緩和策だ。
問：無駄な人を運ばないようにすればどうか？
答：最近買出し部隊がめっきり増えてきて大きな荷物を持ち込み混雑の一因となっているが、然らばほんとうに用がある人とは何か。買出しも食う為にはどうしてもやらなければならぬ状態だから其の人にとっては無用だとは言えぬではないか。配車ももっと考慮すべきだと思う。
問：事故が増えてきた様だが？
答：一般に注意力が減ってきている。乗務員もそうだ。此の点恐縮している。然し近頃の状態を見ているとまるで野暮人と野暮人の競合だよ。京電は電車を動かすが乗客の交通道徳とか訓練は他にやるべき機関があるではないか。運転手の再教育は必要だと思う。
問：何とか輸送緩和へ京電の決戦施策はないか？
答：いいかね君、食物も少ないと喧嘩をする。輸送も車輌さえあれば問題ない。其の為には修繕の『手』を搔き集めたい。そうすれば元通り復活することは不可能ではない。

芸の無い配車ぶり
紳士車掌前原さん思案投げ首
都心生活に道徳心も明朗性も先ず電車運営の妙味が大きく揺らぐ。京城電車幹部の陣頭指揮に同行。現場の実体を衝く。
『押すな潰れるぞ何言うか、ぼやぼやするな！』
午後五時頃混雑絶頂の黄金町入口で客をさばき乍ら『御順に中へ願います、まだ乗れますから中へ詰めて下さい』懸命に名車掌ぶりを発揮しているのが中年の紳士車掌。これが京電前原常務だ。記者が乞うて混雑電車打開の現場問答に出て貰った姿だ。
『そんなに詰められるかい、人間は荷物じゃないぞ』と怒声が飛んで来て常務の縮んだ首が苦笑する。
『常務も電車てうものに乗りますか』
『冗談ではない。三日にあげず乗っている』
以下馬鹿囃子で締め上げる様にして乗った記者との車中問答。
『この混雑は何とかならんか。此の前も肋骨二本を折って入院した客もある』
『会社の不勉強で決戦輸送に充分の奉仕が出来ず申し訳ない。何と言っても電車が足らない。昨年末の混雑時に較べて現在は更に三割減車している。それに加えて毎日一日出庫した車が故障で入庫するが其の数は二割五分に達している』
『修理能力の強化は出来ぬか』
『工員不足だ』
『工員不足だ、と放っては擱けまい』
『勿論電車も兵器だの信念で工員教育と、工員募集に努力している。近く充足会社としての工員待遇の規定が適用されれば工員も落ちつくと思うが当局の措置も遅い憾みがある』
『それにしても極端に減車した今日、電車の操車技術にも思い切った新構想を行うのは会社として第一の要点ではないか』
『考えてはいるが困難だ』
永楽町では乗客が大分下車して、待っていた客のかなりが乗車出来た。交叉点技術を突っ込んでいる。
『例えば此の線には南大門方面からと西大門方面からの車が二重に集まるので此処迄歩けば幾何か楽に乗れる。もし黄金町入口の二つの乗場を黄金町線側に統合したら車の利用率はぐっと上がると思うが』
『夫は精密に計算してみないと優劣は解らない。高等数学の『組合』の問題だ。それにゴーストップの信号が全然別個の管轄だから厄介だ』
『精密に計算してみたことがあるか』
『それはない。然し電車は交叉点前で止まるのが定石だ。定石を打破してみるのが肝要ではないか』
黄金町四丁目で降りてみる。丁度来合わせた十輌も重なった「親子電車」に『いや端へ向の親子が来ましたね』と常務卿が照れた形だ。先頭の車に原因を訊くとモーターの故障だ。
『大体時々廻ってみて解るのはモーターの故障、制動器、ボール、遮断器と色々の故障の為に大小の団子運転を作っているが之が乗客に大変な迷惑をお掛けしている。現場で修理出来ぬものも多い』
『一日にどれ程団子を作っているか』
『それは解らない。一々報告がない』
『それ位の統計を作るだけの研究熱意はないのか』
『．．．団子の「運行中処理は」電車学会の宿題になっているが、こう故障が頻発しては大いに研究せねばならない。街の科学者の知恵も借りたい所だ。京電でも研究中だが、団子の原因と種類だけでも十数程ある』
試みに二人で黄金町から六丁目方面行きの通過車輌を記録してみる。六時五十一分黄金町行、七時黄金町行、七時十六分続いて黄金町行、七時十七分同、七時二十分同、七時二十五分同、始めてから三十分後にやっと往十里行が来る。しかも小型の両入口にはみ出した客が鈴成りのまま徐行して止まる。危なくてみておれない。続いて往十里行が二台、三台目は皮肉にも空いている。日に九万人の通勤者を運ぶ往十里線の操車はこれでは拙劣此上もない『串団子』運転だ。
『時々要地点で行先変更をやり調節してはどうか』
『乗客が無理解で出来ないものもかえって混乱して収拾がつかぬ』
『混乱を整理するための処置を下級従業員に委せて、混乱するのなら要所に係を配置してやればよいだろう。問題は古い操車通念を打破することだ。どうも操車上の「定石」に囚れているように思う』
敦岩町の停留所は相変わらず長蛇の列でざっと四百名が押しかけている。多い時は六百を超えている。鐘路四丁目でもまた大物長蛇が待っているが、一日八万の通勤者を僅か八輌の車が運んでいる。それでも比較的順調な一本運転に対して黄金町線の客が波状的に殺到するから運用率は全然低下している。ここの乗客整理はうまく行っていた『串団子電車』もさることながら故障を偽った「動く故障車」まだ空いているのに客を振り切って走る「跳び出し電車」停車点の客を無視して行き過ぎる「滑り込み電車」行き先も前後も解らず走る「闇電車」等々まだまだ運転手教育に不充分の處がある。
『全く乗務員教育の足らん處だが一時回車率向上を強調した余波がまだあるようだ。極力努力したいと思っている』
問題は勿論困難と『不可能』の続出かも知らぬが、技術畑に鍛えたという仕事への熱と追及力が充分みられ、陣頭指揮の一方、夜おそく迄専門家と首引で構想を錬ると言う新常務前原鷹氏の仕事ぶりは府民が大いに期待する處だ。

【写真＝現場で整理員指導中の前原京電常務】

The original source can be checked out at the National Library of Korea, which I visited in September 2023 to take the following photos of the newspaper copies: