From the 25th, Autonomous Shuttle Bus Operation at Cheonggyecheon... Oh Se-hoon Boards as First Passenger

First Operation of Autonomous Bus Designed from Planning Stage for 'Autonomous Driving + Public Transport' Purpose
Enjoy Refreshing Views of Cheonggyecheon through Large Front Window...Free Boarding and Calling via Seoul Autonomous Driving Dedicated App

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Starting from the 25th, electric autonomous buses equipped with futuristic designs and cutting-edge technology will begin full-scale operation around the Cheonggyecheon area in Seoul.

On the 24th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold the "Cheonggyecheon Autonomous Bus Operation Declaration Ceremony" at Cheonggye Plaza to announce the official start of operations. Mayor Oh Se-hoon will board the autonomous bus as the first passenger and travel approximately 3.4 km from Cheonggye Plaza to Sewoon Sangga and back to Cheonggye Plaza, checking the safety of the operation and encouraging related personnel including the operating company. The ceremony will be attended by Mayor Oh, Park Jung-hwa, Chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee, Song Chang-hyun, President of Hyundai Motor Company and CEO of 42dot, as well as citizen representatives such as Yoo Man-seon, President of the Cheonggye Sangga Merchants Association, and Lee Dae-gyu, a KAIST graduate student and the 2021 Seoul Autonomous Driving Challenge winner, to brighten the event.

The Cheonggyecheon autonomous bus, which is starting operation, was originally designed with the purpose of "autonomous public transportation." It has also been designated as an autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone after review by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and has received special exemptions from automobile safety standards and temporary operation permits to officially introduce autonomous driving services.

The autonomous bus being introduced this time features futuristic design and technology so that citizens can feel autonomous driving closer in the urban environment. In particular, the ceiling has a large panoramic roof that offers a refreshing view of Cheonggyecheon, and future automotive entertainment technology is also showcased inside the vehicle to provide visual attractions. For safe boarding, functions such as automatic seatbelt recognition and automatic prevention of passenger pinching have also been designed.

The autonomous buses will start with two vehicles on the 25th, and from the 12th of next month, one more vehicle will be added, making a total of three buses operating at 20-minute intervals. Two boarding stops will be operated: Cheonggye Plaza South Side (towards Heunginjimun Gate) and in front of Sewoon Sangga (towards Cheonggye Plaza). The operation route initially covers a total of 3.4 km in a loop from Cheonggye Plaza to Sewoon Sangga and back to Cheonggye Plaza. After sufficient safety verification, the route is planned to be extended to Cheonggye 5-ga by the first half of next year.

Operating hours on weekdays are from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with a temporary pause during lunchtime from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM for safety considerations. On Saturdays, the buses operate from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM without a lunch break. If a weekday is a public holiday, the buses will not operate due to the Cheonggyecheon car-free street policy.

To use the autonomous buses, passengers need to install the Seoul autonomous driving dedicated smartphone app (TAP!). Free rides will be offered to provide more citizens with the opportunity to experience autonomous vehicles. The TAP! app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Seoul City plans to cooperate with the operator 42dot to station guides at the two stops for the time being.

Meanwhile, since Cheonggyecheon is an area where pedestrian crossings and motorcycle traffic are frequent and there are many parked vehicles due to loading and unloading, making autonomous driving very difficult, Seoul City plans to prioritize safety by immediately switching to manual driving mode in case of risky situations during the early operation phase to prevent accidents.

Baek Ho, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Urban Transportation Office, said, “Since this is the first attempt to operate autonomous buses in the very complex traffic environment of Cheonggyecheon, we will focus on safety and steadily advance the technology.” He added, “We hope that autonomous buses will become a landmark of Cheonggyecheon, revitalizing the local commercial district and becoming a future transportation hub where many domestic and international tourists come to see, enjoy, and experience.”

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