Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province – Ansan City announced on the 30th that it will launch a free rental car support program for multi-child families starting next month (June). This initiative reflects Ansan City's strong commitment to alleviating the long-standing mobility inconvenience for families raising four or more children, and furthermore, to contributing to solving the low birth rate issue by creating an environment conducive to raising children.
A city official stated, "Due to current budget constraints, we will initially start the program targeting families with four or more children, but we will also consider expanding the scope of support in the future depending on budget 확보 (securing funds) and program performance." This indicates that Ansan City plans to develop its multi-child family support policy as a continuous and expandable project, not just a one-off initiative.
Detailed Information on Support Eligibility and Application Method
The rental car support program targets families within Ansan City where at least one of their four children is under 18 years old. To receive support, parents and at least two children must be registered at the same address in Ansan City on their resident registration certificate. This condition aims to support actual multi-child families residing in Ansan City and actively engaged in childcare.
Citizens wishing to apply can do so on a first-come, first-served basis through the Ansan City Integrated Reservation System website, from one month to at least two weeks prior to the desired usage date. After applying, if selected as eligible through Ansan City's screening process, recipients will receive the benefit of borrowing a rental car free of charge for up to three days.
The available vehicles include △6-seater (Sorento, Santa Fe), △9-seater (Carnival), and △11-seater (Staria) passenger vans and SUVs, chosen to accommodate the characteristics of multi-child families. This measure aims to resolve the spatial constraints experienced by large families traveling together and enable comfortable and safe movement. However, users should be aware that additional costs incurred during operation, such as fuel, self-pay insurance premiums, and fines, are not covered.
Necessity of Multi-Child Family Support Policies and Ansan City's Efforts
The recent severe social problem of low birth rates has reached a level that threatens the nation's future. Multi-child families, in particular, exemplify the importance of raising children while facing practical difficulties in various aspects, including education, housing, and transportation. Inconvenience in using public transportation and the economic burden of purchasing and maintaining private cars have been pointed out as major reasons preventing multi-child families from freely enjoying outings or leisure activities.
In this context, Ansan City's rental car support program is highly regarded as a very realistic and tangible support measure that directly addresses the mobility limitations experienced by multi-child families. This support is expected to be a great help to multi-child families who desperately need large vehicles for various activities such as family trips, outings, and visiting relatives, but find it difficult to meet this need consistently.
In addition to this rental car support program, Ansan City is actively pursuing various policies for multi-child families to create a "city good for raising children." For example, it is striving to alleviate the burden of childcare and foster a family-friendly atmosphere by implementing diverse support measures such as birth celebration subsidies, operation of childcare product sharing centers, expansion of shared childcare centers, housing support for multi-child families, and discounts on public facility usage fees.
Ansan Mayor Lee Min-geun emphasized, "This is a support measure that will allow multi-child families to enjoy travel and leisure activities and move more conveniently." He added, "We will continue to prepare and promote various support measures to create an Ansan where there is no burden in raising children." Mayor Lee's remarks demonstrate that Ansan City is focusing not just on financial aid, but on creating an environment where multi-child families can participate confidently as members of society without feeling marginalized.
Comparison with Other Local Governments and Future Tasks
Ansan City's rental car support program is part of the nationwide efforts by local governments to support multi-child families. Some local governments already offer benefits such as vehicle purchase subsidies, fuel cost support, and public parking discounts for multi-child families. For example, Gyeonggi Province provides various discounts to multi-child families through its 'I-Plus Card,' and Seoul City supports public transportation fare discounts and cultural facility discounts through its 'Seoul Dadungyi Happiness Card.'
Ansan City's free rental car rental program is distinctive in that it allows access to large vehicles whenever needed without the burden of purchasing a car. This is expected to be particularly useful for families who do not have the financial capacity to purchase a car or who have a low constant need for a large vehicle but require it intermittently.
Future tasks for Ansan City include securing the sustainability of the program and expanding the scope of support. While the program currently prioritizes families with four or more children due to budget constraints, considering the severity of the low birth rate issue, there may be a need to expand support to a wider range of multi-child families, such as those with three children. Furthermore, Ansan City could consider ways to further enhance user convenience, such as extending the rental period, providing concentrated support during specific periods (e.g., holidays, school vacations), and diversifying vehicle types.
Ultimately, Ansan City's program is expected to play a crucial role in improving the quality of life for multi-child families by ensuring their mobility rights and thereby fostering a positive perception of childbirth and parenting. It is hoped that Ansan City will continue to discover practical and creative policies for multi-child families and become a model for a "city good for having and raising children."
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