Nation's First Autonomous Bus Operation on Osong Station~Sejong Terminal BRT Route

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Kim] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that starting from the 27th, it will launch the nation's first exclusive autonomous driving bus service for the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system, operating on the 22.4km route between Osong Station and Sejong Intercity Bus Terminal.

The BRT autonomous driving buses have been assigned separate route numbers A2 and A3, and will serve as a key part of public transportation alongside existing city buses such as B0, B2, and B4.

The Ministry expects this BRT autonomous driving bus service to act as a catalyst in achieving the goal of fully autonomous (Level 4) buses and shuttles by 2025.

The autonomous buses to be operated this time include one electric bus equipped with Level 3 autonomous driving technology (14-seat Apollo750) and two regular vans (15-seat Resta).

A driver and a safety officer will be on board to assist with boarding and alighting, provide autonomous driving guidance, and respond promptly to emergencies to ensure safe operation.

This BRT autonomous driving bus service is the first case in Korea where autonomous buses are introduced on main roads.

The service will operate six round trips between 12 PM and 4 PM from Monday to Friday on the BRT road (Sejong Express Intercity Bus Terminal - Osong Station section), stopping at eight existing BRT route stations.

Anyone can use the autonomous driving bus for free by applying in advance through QR codes found on the websites of Sejong City and Chungbuk Province, as well as posters at BRT stations.

The Ministry plans to conduct a pilot operation for about three months, reflect feedback from citizen experience groups who use the service, and then transition to a full paid service applying city bus fares.

The autonomous driving bus service is expected to expand next year to Daejeon Banseok Station, and after 2024 to major areas in the Chungcheong region such as Cheongju Airport, Jochiwon, Gongju, and Cheonan-Asan.

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