Self-Driving Bus to Operate in Sejong City from May... Demonstration of 'BRT Public Transportation Service'

Ministry of SMEs and Startups Conducts Demonstration of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Public Transport Service in Sejong Regulatory Sandbox
Minister Kwon: "I Will Personally Ride and Verify Safety... Will Support Continuous Demonstration Through Legal Revisions"

Minister Kwon Chil-seung of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is inspecting the autonomous vehicle monitoring system at the Sejong Big Data Control Center on the 30th. Photo by Ministry of SMEs and Startups

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Kwon Chilseung, Minister of SMEs and Startups, visited the Industry-Academia-Research Cluster Support Center in Jiphyeon-dong, Sejong on the 30th and said, "I personally rode in an autonomous vehicle, and I will support the continuation of demonstrations for projects whose safety has been proven through legal amendments and other measures."

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Sejong Special Self-Governing City announced on the 30th that they will officially operate a demonstration of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) public transportation service where ordinary citizens can board autonomous buses.

On the morning of the same day, Minister Kwon Chilseung and Sejong Mayor Lee Chunhee held a communication meeting with representatives of companies participating in the special zone at the Sejong Industry-Academia-Research Cluster Support Center, test-rode the autonomous buses developed by the special zone companies, and inspected overall safety including operation.

This visit was Minister Kwon Chilseung’s first on-site event since his inauguration, focusing on the regulatory free special zone. It was arranged to review the progress of demonstrations in the Sejong special zone project and to hear on-site voices regarding corporate difficulties and commercialization plans as well as directions for the development of the autonomous driving industry.

The Sejong Regulatory Free Special Zone has been conducting autonomous vehicle demonstrations in residential complexes, urban parks, and general roads since May last year, focusing on improving location measurement technology and establishing safety manuals to secure technological safety.

This demonstration was conducted based on the accumulated technological safety and demonstration data. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to expand the demonstration section to actual public transportation routes and strengthen the commercialization model by demonstrating the ‘nation’s first paid transportation service for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).’

Autonomous A2Z, which received a special license for passenger transportation limited to the BRT section, constructed a precise road map within the demonstration section. After pilot operation, safety inspections, and evaluations, passenger transportation service demonstrations will begin at the end of March, and from May, it will be operated as a paid service allowing ordinary citizens to use it at an affordable cost (under 500 won), the Ministry added.

Additionally, the ‘Autonomous Driving Big Data Control Center’ will be established at the Industry-Academia-Research Cluster Center by the first half of the year to enhance safety through demonstration vehicle control and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication linkage. It will also support the collection and analysis of data so that domestic autonomous driving startups and research institutions can share and utilize it.

Minister Kwon Chilseung emphasized at the meeting, “Since Sejong City has the optimal advanced transportation infrastructure, the public and private sectors must unite to enhance technological capabilities and lead in creating business models,” adding, “The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will actively support the uninterrupted continuation of the special zone project through legal revisions and extension of demonstration exceptions.”

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