Nationwide First Gyeonggi-do Autonomous Bus 'PantaG Bus' to Operate from January Next Year

Gyeonggi-do Autonomous Driving Bus Panta G Bus to Operate from January Next Year. Photo by Gyeonggi-do Provided

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has finalized the name of its autonomous cooperative driving bus, which will be the first in Korea to run on actual roads, as 'PanTA-G Bus.'

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 1st that from September 14 to 28, it held a naming contest for the 'Gyeonggi Province Autonomous Cooperative Driving Bus' to promote the project and encourage citizen participation. After two rounds of evaluation involving branding experts, Kim Yesul's 'PanTA-G Bus' was selected as the grand prize winner.

The name PanTA-G Bus combines 'Pan' from Pangyo and 'TA' from 'G Bus,' maintaining consistency with existing Gyeonggi buses. It also evokes the English word 'Fantasy,' effectively expressing the futuristic atmosphere associated with autonomous buses, which earned it high marks.

Going forward, the PanTA-G Bus name will be used in various promotional materials, including videos for the Gyeonggi Province autonomous cooperative driving bus.

The Gyeonggi Province autonomous cooperative driving bus will begin free pilot operations for residents starting January next year. The route covers approximately 5.9 km, connecting Pangyo Station and the Gyeonggi Business Growth Center in Pangyo Second Techno Valley. Passengers can board at designated stops just like regular city buses. Operating hours are from 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM on weekdays and from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM on weekends, with buses dispatched every 30 minutes on weekdays (50 minutes during off-peak times) and every hour on weekends. Bus stop information, bus location, and arrival times will be provided in real-time through the Gyeonggi Province Bus Information System (BIS) and other platforms.

Ryu Gwang-yeol, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Economic Office, said, "The contest confirmed the high interest and affection for the Gyeonggi Province autonomous cooperative driving bus. We will continue to do our best to lead service innovations tailored to residents, including autonomous cooperative driving buses."

Meanwhile, the contest's excellence awards went to Sun Woo-ju-won for 'RoBus (Robot-Bus)' and Kim Hyung-min for 'RoboBus 4.0.' The encouragement awards were given to Lee Sang-soo for 'Gyeonggi e-Roum Bus,' Kang Jun-ho for 'Future RoBus,' Kim Kwan-chul for 'Gyeonggi AutoBus (Auto-verse),' Kim Tae-hoon for 'Gyeonggi Autonomous Nuri Bus,' and Lee Sung-hoon for 'Gyeonggi Jaju Bus.'

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