Seoul To Launch Autonomous Buses To Serve Early Morning Passengers, Choose The Most Congested Route

Illustration of autonomous buses for early morning services in Seoul. (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government)

JAKARTA - The government of the Metropolitan Seoul, South Korea plans to launch a driverless bus service, to increase the comfort of passengers who require public transportation in the early hours of the morning.

The plan is for this autonomous bus to start operating at 03.30 local time, or 30 minutes earlier than the first conventional bus that usually starts operating at 04.00.

Similar to the driverless bus that started its night service on December 5, this bus will operate independently.

One or two additional buses will be operated before the schedule for the first bus on the existing route.

"Along with our empathy for people who wake up early in the city, we are committed to implementing transportation policies that support vulnerable groups this year as well," said Yoon Jong-jang, head of the City Transportation Office in the Seoul Metropolitan Government, reported by The Korea Times on February 20.

The initiative was designed to meet the needs of morning workers, such as road cleaners and office guards, who usually relied on the first bus that day to leave for work.

Passengers who boarded the first bus that day usually spend more than an hour on a trip. Therefore, according to the city government, they expressed their desire to start operating the bus early.

In addition to increasing demand, key routes from the outskirts of Seoul to downtown areas, such as Gangnam and Yeouido, face many congestion and safety concerns, as passengers stand on crowded buses.

In the early hours of the morning, challenges also arise due to the lack of drivers, as bus drivers are usually reluctant to make morning shifts. Although there is a need to expand bus operations, the limited supply of drivers is a natural obstacle.

In a strategic response to this challenge, the city government plans to operate a driverless morning bus, which is expected to meet passenger demand and expand bus services smoothly, thereby reducing the obstacles caused by the scarcity of bus drivers.

For the initial stage, the 160 bus lane, which covers Dobongsan Station to Yeongdeungpo Station through Jongro, Mapo and Yeouido Stations, with a distance of approximately 25.7 kilometers, will be the first route for the operation of autonomous buses.

This route is considered the densest among buses in the morning, with more than 50 passengers riding each bus, where there are 160 units of buses operating for the morning service.

In addition, taking into account factors such as safety and operational conditions of driverless buses, the route was chosen as a top priority, according to the city government.

To prepare for the launch of this driverless morning bus, the city government plans to build important infrastructure, such as traffic signal configurations. Collaborating with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, the goal is to establish a pilot autonomous vehicle zone in July.