Jeongseon-gun deploys AI passenger analysis system on free public buses

Jeongseon-gun in Gangwon Province has introduced an AI-based passenger analysis system for its public bus network.

According to the county Tuesday, the system has been deployed across 37 buses in the "Wawa Bus" fleet, using onboard AI cameras to automatically detect and record passenger boardings and alightings.

The data collected will inform decisions on scheduling adjustments, route improvements and new transport services, drawing on ridership figures by route, boarding and alighting frequency by stop, ridership patterns by time of day, and travel demand by area.

Passengers board without any check-in procedure. The county introduced the system to improve rider convenience and gather accurate usage data after launching a fully free public bus policy in July last year.

Annual ridership on the Wawa Bus fleet has surpassed 1 million, even though Jeongseon-gun has a population of only about 35,000.

Lee Deok-jong, head of the county's transportation management office, said the system would mark a shift toward data-driven bus operations. "We will use the accumulated data to strengthen the objectivity and efficiency of our transport policy and build a public transit service suited to local conditions," he said.