Roadside Trash Collection 'Efficient'... Gwangju Regulatory Free Zone Begins Demonstration of Unmanned Low-Speed Special Vehicle

Start of Pilot Project for Unmanned Island Cleaning Vehicles and Public Data Collection and Sharing
Promotion of Autonomous Driving System Technology Development and Commercialization Linked to Gwangju Special Vehicle Industry

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 16th that they will begin pilot projects for unmanned low-speed special-purpose vehicles for public services and the collection and sharing of autonomous driving public information data in the Gwangju Regulatory Free Zone. Photo by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 16th that they will begin demonstrations of unmanned low-speed special-purpose vehicles for public services and the collection and sharing of autonomous driving public information data in the Gwangju Regulatory Free Zone.

Since being designated as a regulatory free zone in 2019, Gwangju Metropolitan City has been demonstrating public services such as Korea's first driverless street cleaning vehicles and garbage collection trucks.

According to the current Road Traffic Act, vehicles are required to have a driver on board when driving on roads for safety reasons, making it impossible for unmanned vehicles to actually operate on roads. However, in the Gwangju Regulatory Free Zone, regulatory exemptions have been allowed for temporary autonomous vehicle operation permits, real road driving, and park access within the scope of ensuring safety through prior performance verification and safety device installation, enabling demonstrations of unmanned vehicles.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups explained that they have prepared safety devices such as emergency stop systems and safety manuals for street cleaning vehicles and industrial complex waste collection trucks, obtained temporary autonomous vehicle operation permits from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and completed prior preparations including liability insurance enrollment, allowing them to start full-scale demonstrations.

This demonstration is expected to improve the poor working conditions of sanitation workers, such as those caused by early morning traffic accidents, and enhance work efficiency by alleviating simple repetitive tasks. Additionally, it is anticipated to foster an industrial ecosystem for future growth in the autonomous driving sector by promoting the localization of core autonomous driving components such as radar and LiDAR, and accelerating the development and commercialization of autonomous driving system technologies linked to Gwangju's special-purpose vehicle industry.

Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, stated, "Gwangju has been striving to proactively respond to changes in the industrial landscape and discover future growth engines in preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution," adding, "Through this demonstration, we will lay the foundation for Gwangju to leap forward as a leading city in the future automobile industry."

Kim Heecheon, Head of the Regulatory Free Zone Planning Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "With this demonstration, we will spare no support to create an autonomous vehicle industrial ecosystem led by small and medium-sized enterprises in connection with Gwangju Metropolitan City's automobile industry infrastructure, where many special-purpose vehicle companies are concentrated."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.