Bus Calls via Smartphone App... A Total of 6 Buses Operating in Incheon Geomdan and Gyeyang

I-MOD Bus [Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City is expanding the operation of the real-time demand-responsive 'I-MOD' bus service, which passengers can call via a smartphone app.

The city announced on the 3rd that it has increased the number of I-MOD buses in Geomdan New Town, Seo-gu, from 2 to 4, and newly deployed 2 buses in Gyeyang 1-dong, Gyeyang-gu.

Since the first operation of the I-MOD bus in October 2020, a total of 22 buses are currently operating in Incheon, including 8 buses in Yeongjong International City and 8 buses in Songdo International City.

The I-MOD bus is a smart mobility service that allows passengers to call a vehicle to their desired bus stop through a smartphone app and travel to the bus stop they want to go to, regardless of fixed routes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) searches for the fastest route in real-time and dispatches the bus accordingly. Unlike conventional buses that stop at every stop along a fixed route even if there are no passengers, I-MOD determines the stops based on the passenger's location and destination.

The base fare is 1,800 KRW for up to 7 km based on the shortest distance, with an additional 100 KRW charged for every 1 km thereafter. Youth and child fares are 1,200 KRW and 700 KRW, respectively.

Incheon City was selected for the 'Smart City Challenge Project' by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2020 and is implementing various smart mobility services, including the I-MOD bus, in collaboration with the Hyundai Motor Consortium.

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