Gov't launches self-driving pilot program to fill transport gaps

A self-driving bus operates in southern Seoul's Dongjak District. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will allocate about 3 billion won ($2.08 million) to expand self-driving services in areas and during hours underserved by public transport.

The ministry announced on Tuesday that it will fund pilot projects in eight regions, including Seoul, Daegu, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and Jeju Island, to operate autonomous shuttles and demand-responsive transit (DRT) services.

The initiative aims to improve transit access in regions and during hours where public transport services are limited. It also plans to test new self-driving freight operations to accelerate a commercial rollout over the next few years.

Gangwon Province will introduce a late-night self-driving DRT service in Gangneung, which will host the upcoming ITS World Congress, the world’s largest intelligent transport systems event, in October.

The service will run between key hubs such as Anmok Beach, Gangneung Station and the express bus terminal, offering late-night public transportation for tourists and event attendees.

South Gyeongsang Province will continue operating a self-driving loop shuttle service in rural Hadong County, while Jeju Island will run autonomous shuttle vans between the airport and downtown.

Seoul will operate the country’s first driverless taxi service in Sangam, Mapo District, with a safety operator riding in the passenger seat in case of emergency. In Yangcheon District, the city plans to roll out autonomous shuttles to improve mobility for older adults and passengers with disabilities.

Gyeonggi Province will deploy autonomous shuttles for a new route to test their performance in heavy traffic, while rolling out additional DRT services to the existing self-driving bus routes for commuters in Seongnam's Pangyo area.

Meanwhile, Daegu will launch a high-speed, middle-mile autonomous freight service between logistics hubs, including public post offices and private distribution centers.

All expressways nationwide were designated as an autonomous driving pilot zone last year, with the first paid autonomous freight license expected this year.

“Self-driving technology has shown a particularly strong impact on passenger transport in underserved regions and time slots, and its application in freight transport is now within reach,” a ministry official said.

“The newly launched freight self-driving service will ensure successful integration of the autonomous driving technology into the logistics sector, focusing on middle-mile routes with repetitive driving patterns, where drivers face high risk of fatigue, to help reduce exhaustion.”