Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak has apologized for the inconveniences caused by the new public transportation system.

In a news conference Sunday, Lee also announced plans to offer discounts to commuters.

Under that plan, the city would issue from next Thursday a monthly subway ticket at 35,200 won for long-term, regular commuters that could be used without any restrictions.

Lee came under harsh criticism as the new mass transit system spawned a number of traffic snafus over the weekend, including severe congestion on newly established bus-only lanes and malfunctioning fare card readers.

Some angry citizens opened Internet Web sites to protest the new transportation system, with some netizens moving to file a class action suit against the mayor and the city government for causing confusion.