Following the implementation of the semi-public bus system in Seoul, financial contributions have significantly increased, yet service quality has reportedly worsened. The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) held a press conference to highlight the ongoing issues and alleged neglect by the city government regarding the problems associated with this bus system. Initially introduced in 2004, the semi-public system was intended to allow private companies to operate bus services while local governments subsidized any operating losses, focusing on ensuring public service quality.

Despite an increase in the number of bus routes and stops in Seoul, a recent report from CCEJ indicates a concerning reduction in the total distance buses travel, raising concerns about increased wait times for passengers. From 2019 to 2024, while the number of routes grew from 365 to 394, and stops increased from 6,291 to 6,655, the overall operation distance reportedly decreased from 532.15 million km to 500.1 million km, suggesting that reduced service frequency is adversely impacting commuters.

Additionally, while transportation revenue increased from 1.3 trillion KRW in 2019 to 1.53 trillion KRW in 2024, financial support from the city dramatically rose from 291.5 billion KRW in 2019 to a peak of 891.5 billion KRW in 2023 before declining to 400 billion KRW in 2024. The CCEJ argues that delays in settling deficits by the city distort financial data and create a burden on taxpayers through subsidization of interest on loans taken by bus companies to cover deficits.