Seoul prepares for driverless future with 500 autonomous buses by 2030
A Cheonggyecheon Autonomous Bus runs along a road near Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul on Nov. 25, 2022. Yonhap
In a move that could permanently reshape urban transit in one of Asia’s most densely populated metropolises, Seoul city officials announced an ambitious strategy, Thursday, to integrate 500 fully autonomous buses into regular city transit routes by 2030.
The initiative took a major step forward when the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed a landmark agreement with Hyundai Motor Company and the Seoul Bus Transportation Business Association at City Hall. The tripartite partnership aims to bridge the gap between niche technological trials and full-scale public utility, laying the groundwork for driverless Level 4 automation across the city's bus network.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will engineer and manufacture specialized 11-meter buses designed specifically for autonomous integration. Unlike standard vehicles retrofitted with aftermarket sensors, these factory-built models will feature electronic steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems, redundant safety controls and cyberattack defenses, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
"Seoul is taking the lead in connecting cutting-edge driverless technology directly to the daily commutes of our citizens," said Mayor Oh Se-hoon during the signing ceremony. "By working as a unified team with Hyundai and our local transit operators, we will enhance urban mobility while ensuring safety remains our top priority."
The plan addresses mounting structural pressures on traditional public transit.
Transport authorities across Korea have faced rising operational costs and a rapidly aging workforce of professional drivers. Transitioning to autonomous fleets offers municipal leaders a sustainable long-term operational model.
The city’s journey toward autonomous transit did not start overnight. Seoul previously introduced late-night autonomous shuttle routes to serve early-morning commuters and late-shift workers. However, scaling up to primary routes required standardized infrastructure and industry-wide collaboration.
To support software developers, Seoul plans to standardize and aggregate data collected from on-vehicle LiDAR and vision sensors. By sharing real-world driving environments and edge-case scenario data, municipal officials said they intend to cultivate an open software ecosystem for artificial intelligence (AI) developers, universities and tech startups.
The rollout will follow a phased schedule.
Between 2027 and 2028, the focus will be on vehicle development, AI model refinement, and public safety testing. Commercial deployment will begin in 2029 as older municipal buses are systematically retired, scaling up to 500 Level 4 autonomous buses in active service by 2030.
Level 4 autonomous vehicles are high-automation vehicles that can drive completely on their own without human intervention, but only within predefined geographic areas and specific conditions.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.