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More autonomous buses introduced across Seoul
An autonomous Hyundai Solati is in front of the National Assembly Hall, Wednesday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Ko Dong-hwan
By Ko Dong-hwan
Self-driving transit buses are expanding their presence in Seoul, as the city introduced, Wednesday, a new route in Yeouido, western Seoul. It is the city's fifth autonomous bus service route.
At 12 p.m., a Hyundai Solati, a diesel minibus accommodating up to 13 people, took to the road around the National Assembly and it drove a round trip of 3.1 kilometers that featured six stops around the parliament.
Two autonomous buses run every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday, but they do not operate on statutory holidays and weekends.
Those who want to ride the bus need a smartphone app called TAP!, where users can pre-book a ride by setting their departure and destination.
With the new service route in Yeouido, autonomous transit bus services in Seoul took another step forward, showing off the technology to the world, said Yoon Jong-jang, head of the City Transportation Office under the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The route of Seoul City's new autonomous transit bus in Yeouido, western Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
“With additional routes and services for day and even night, the autonomous buses have brought us closer to the future,” Yoon said.
The Futuristic Advanced Transportation Division under the City Transportation Office, which launched the service, said they will expand the city's latest autonomous bus route more broadly across the Yeouido area. The expansion will service beyond the National Assembly to Yeouido and Yeouinaru Subway Stations, the area's central bus transfer platform and streets between the compact office and residential buildings in southern Yeouido.
The division said Wednesday they will also introduce the service for nighttime in October, a world first. The night service will travel a 9.7 kilometer-long route between Hapjeong Subway Station in western Seoul and Heunginjimun Gate in central Seoul from midnight to 5 a.m. The route, passing through the spots that especially boom with nighttime crowds, will extend further east to the Cheongnyangni area next year using a large-size autonomous electric bus, the authority added.
With the nighttime service in action, the city authority said it expects to overcome existing limitations of public transport services by moving passengers around the clock.
The city authority previously introduced an autonomous bus service to areas of Sangam, Gangnam, Cheonggye Stream and Cheong Wa Dae. Out of 16 buses currently servicing the areas, 12 are electric vehicles, Kim Jin-goo from the division told The Korea Times.