South Korea Starts Operating Autonomous Buses, Free During Three-Month Trial

South Korea's first autonomous bus. (Source: Yonhap via Korea Times)

JAKARTA - South Korea has started operating autonomous buses serving the 22.4-kilometer route between Sejong Intercity Bus Terminal and Osong Station in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation said, Tuesday.

The Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development wanted to create and promote an autonomous commercial bus system in the region, so it chose the project as a joint business initiative.

Self-driving buses will be assigned separate route numbers and operate alongside regular city buses, reported the Korea Times on December 28.

For now, only two autonomous buses will operate on the line, called the bus rapid transit or BRT line. Drivers and safety workers will be on the bus for safety reasons.

The self-driving buses will run a total of six round trips between noon and 4 pm, Monday to Friday, and will stop at eight stops on existing BRT routes.

Anyone can use the autonomous buses for free by applying for the trial program in advance, with QR codes printed on posters displayed at some BRT stops. After a three-month trial, passengers will be charged the normal city bus fare.

The ministry presented its goal to commercialize fully autonomous bus services in the city by 2025, under the 'Roadmap to Innovation Mobility' plan unveiled in September.

The government explained further, it could also expand autonomous driving services if there is a lot of demand, so that it implements a demand-responsive transport (DRT) route that uses a QR code system to determine the frequency of the route.

"The BRT (bus rapid transit) route autonomous transportation service is the first driverless bus service to ply the country's main roads. We plan to expand the service in Daejeon next year as well as Jochiwon, Gongju, Cheonan, and Asan, all in the North. Chungcheong Province, after 2024", said Second Deputy Minister Eo Myeong-so.