Seoul Starts Autonomous Vehicle-Based Public Transportation Service, Free During December

Illustration of autonomous vehicle-based public transportation. (Wikimedia Commons/Ioki DeutscheBahn)

JAKARTA - Vehicles will start operating as a means of public transportation for the first time in Seoul, South Korea this week, the city government said Monday, signaling a new era for commercial autonomous vehicle services.

The Seoul metropolitan government said three autonomous passenger cars would start operating for ordinary citizens from Tuesday in Sangam-dong, a district in western Seoul designated as a pilot zone for autonomous cars.

Three driverless cars will carry passengers between DMC Station, an apartment complex, and the nearest office area, the government said.

The service will operate on an advance reservation system until Saturday, the city government said, asking passengers to call vehicles via the self-driving car app TAP! and then wait at the designated stop.

"This service marks the first step towards the era of commercialization of self-driving vehicles as a means of transportation, because it can be used freely by citizens," said a Seoul City Government official, as reported by the Korea Times on November 29.

"By the end of December, three additional autonomous vehicles, including self-driving buses, will start operating on the same route in Sangam-dong," the city government continued.

The City Government further targets to increase the number of autonomous vehicles operating in the Sangam-dong area to more than 50 by 2026.

To provide the general public with the experience of using autonomous public transportation, the city government will make this service free for one month during December, before starting to pay for it next January.

The city government suggests a fare of 1,200 won or around Rp14,523 for a self-driving bus and a fare of about 3,000 won or about Rp36308 for an autonomous car, although private carriers may charge a much lower fare.

Marking the launch of the service, the city government symbolically granted business licenses to the two companies in charge of autonomous vehicle services. After the ceremony, Mayor Oh Se-hoon drove an autonomous car as the first passenger and covered a distance of about 2.9 kilometers.