'Gyeonggi-do, Liberation from Commuting Hell?'... Following Ddokbus, Metropolitan Call Bus Pilot Operation

Pilot Project Areas for Gyeonggi-do Metropolitan Call Bus Service

Gyeonggi Province will pilot operate the 'Demand-Responsive Metropolitan Transportation Service Metropolitan Call Bus' this second half of the year, connecting six areas within the province?Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong, Siheung, Paju, and Gwangju?and Seoul.

The Metropolitan Call Bus is a transportation bus that operates flexibly according to passenger calls, including advance reservations, without fixed routes or predetermined schedules.

On the 14th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it signed a business agreement on the 'Metropolitan Call Bus' with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and six local governments including Suwon City at the Sangam DMC Tower in Sangam-dong, Seoul.

According to the agreement, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will coordinate tasks among the signatory and related organizations. Gyeonggi Province will undertake technical development to apply the integrated metropolitan area transfer discount system. The six local governments will be responsible for the overall operation of the Metropolitan Call Bus, including technical and administrative support necessary for operation and selecting transportation companies through limited licensing.

The Metropolitan Call Bus refers to demand-responsive buses (DRT) that operate across two or more cities or provinces as metropolitan transit buses. The pilot project period is 18 months from the start date of operation in each region. The fare will be the same as the current metropolitan express bus (M Bus) base fare of 2,800 KRW, with additional charges applied per distance traveled.

In the initial phase of the pilot project, operation will be 100% by advance reservation on a daily or monthly basis, and calls and advance reservations will only be possible near the departure points.

The initial routes by region are ▲ Suwon (Dangsu 1 & 2 Districts ↔ Sadang Station) ▲ Hwaseong (Dongtan 1 & 2-dong ↔ Sadang Station) ▲ Siheung (Siwha MTV ↔ Sadang Station) ▲ Paju (Unjeong District ↔ Sangam DMC) ▲ Yongin (Gorim District ↔ Yangjae Station) ▲ Gwangju (Sinhyeon-dong ↔ Yangjae Station).

Gyeonggi Province plans to review the route operation status, reorganize service areas and business routes, and if the pilot project results show a significant improvement in mobility convenience, expand it into a formal project in consultation with cities and counties.

Previously, the Metropolitan Area Wide Transport Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been promoting the 'Development of Practical Technology for Demand-Responsive Metropolitan Mobility Service in the Metropolitan Area' project since April last year to address the shortage of metropolitan bus routes and the ban on standing passengers, which cause commuting issues for Gyeonggi residents. The project is conducted by the Korea Transport Institute and others, with private sector companies Kakao Mobility Co., Ltd. and Studio Galilee Co., Ltd. responsible for app development and other technical development necessary for operating the Metropolitan Call Bus.

Gyeonggi Province, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Wide Transport Committee and the Korea Transport Institute, selected six local governments including Suwon through a public contest for pilot project sites in February.

Oh Hu-seok, Deputy Governor for Administration of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Resolving commuting transportation issues for residents is a long-standing task that Gyeonggi Province must accomplish," adding, "Based on the know-how of operating demand-responsive buses (DRT) in Paju, we will actively cooperate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and six cities to make commuting more convenient for residents."

Separately from the Metropolitan Call Bus pilot operation, Gyeonggi Province will also significantly expand the 'Ddok Bus' pilot project, first introduced in December 2021 in Paju Unjeong and Gyoha Districts.

'Ddok Bus' is a unique brand of Gyeonggi Province's demand-responsive transportation system, meaning 'smartly moving bus.'

Ddok Bus is a customized public transportation mode that flexibly transports passengers in new towns or transportation-vulnerable areas without fixed routes or predetermined schedules, responding to passenger calls. Unlike conventional buses with fixed routes, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create optimal real-time routes based on passenger demand.

Based on these achievements, Gyeonggi Province plans to expand the introduction to 116 vehicles across 10 cities and counties by August this year. Currently, Ddok Bus operates with 4 vehicles in Ansan Daebudo, 15 in Pyeongtaek Godeok New Town, and 10 in Suwon Gwanggyo New Town. In particular, to alleviate citizen inconvenience due to congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line, preparations are underway to select operators for operating 77 Ddok Buses across six cities and counties, including 10 vehicles in Gimpo Gochon-eup area.

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