Seoul to expand unmanned late-night cab service to all of Gangnam district
This photo, provided by the Seoul metropolitan government, shows an unmanned late-night cab operated by the city government. Yonhap
The Seoul city government said Sunday it will expand the late-night operation of unmanned taxis to include all of Seoul's Gangnam district starting this week.
The autonomous late-night cab service, which was launched as part of a pilot program in September, will begin providing services near Apgujeong, Sinsa, Nonhyeon and Cheongdam subway stations from Monday, according to the city.
Currently, the cabs are available in Gangnam's Yeoksam-dong, Daechi-dong, Dogok-dong and Samseong-dong.
The initiative, the first of its kind to be introduced by the city, currently operates three cabs from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays.
Users can summon the cabs like a regular taxi through the Kakao T app, with up to three people allowed to board at a time. The service had been free of charge during the pilot program.
The city said it had serviced a total of 4,200 rides since its first operation on Sept. 26, equivalent to an average 24 rides per day.
Citing a successful pilot program with zero accidents in Seoul's Gangnam district, renowned for its complex roads, the city said it could open a path for self-driving cars to become a safe and convenient mode of transportation.