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| SOCAR has partnered with solutions provider RideFlux to launch self-driving services in the first half of this year. Courtesy of SOCAR |
By Kim Bo-eun
Many people still have reservations when it comes to self-driving cars, but Korea is making strides in the sector. Self-driving vehicles, which had been limited to free trials, are revving up to be commercialized after regulations were established last year.
SOCAR in partnership with self-driving systems provider RideFlux is set to launch services on Jeju Island in the first half of the year. This comes after KakaoMobility launched the first self-driving automobile services last month in the administrative city of Sejong.
Regulations on self-driving vehicles went into effect in May and the government in November designated six districts where self-driving services could be operated, including Sejong, Jeju and Daegu.
Passengers will be able to hail the vehicles and pay fares via mobile applications. At the current stage, however, a driver is seated behind the steering wheels to ensure safety.
SOCAR has been testing the self-driving services since May last year. Vehicles were test driven on a 5-kilometer route 5,400 times last year.
"We do have a lot more to work on, given the current level of technology requires a safety expert to be present, but passengers have rated the rides at an average of 4.9 out of 5," a SOCAR official said.
SOCAR will launch services for a 38-kilometer route that takes passengers from Jeju airport to the Jungmun tourist complex. This is the longest route in the six areas designated by the government.
The minivans will be able to transport up to five passengers. The fare is set to be similar to or lower than that of regular taxis.
Kakao Mobility is offering self-driving rides on a 23-kilometer route in Sejong. As the first self-driving service to be launched, the company has limited the pool of passengers that can use the service. Mostly government officials are riding the self-driving vehicles as they commute to work.
Both SOCAR and Kakao Mobility are set to expand the territory of their self-driving services.
While self-driving services have started being commercialized, companies are still in the very early stages. The existing Passenger Transport Act is set to be applied in cases of accidents, but matters may become more complicated after insurance claims and other issues come into play.
"Given we are in the very early stages of self-driving services, as the first company to launch paid services, it is meaningful that we were able to incorporate this into the existing Kakao application," a Kakao official said.
Kakao in the meantime is getting ready to launch its own self-driving vehicle in the first half of this year. The company partnered with self-driving systems provider Autonomous a2z for the launch.
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