Driverless autonomous bus to run along Cheonggyecheon at night starting Thursday

An autonomous bus with no driver's seat or steering wheel will begin running along Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul after dark.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that the Cheonggyecheon autonomous bus "Cheongye A01" will launch nighttime service Thursday at 7 p.m.

The city said the service aims to improve nighttime mobility for residents and tourists and to connect tourist attractions and commercial districts along the Cheonggyecheon corridor. The bus will run directly between Cheonggyecheon Plaza and Gwangjang Market. The city said it is the first time in South Korea that a driverless autonomous bus has operated regular nighttime service.

The Cheongye A01 will travel a 4.8-kilometer round-trip route from Cheonggyecheon Plaza through Sewoon Sangga at Cheonggyecheon 3-ga to Gwangjang Market at Cheonggyecheon 5-ga.

Two vehicles will circulate in both directions across 11 stops, departing from Cheonggyecheon Plaza every 30 minutes starting at 7 p.m., for a total of nine runs per day. The last departure is at 11 p.m. The service will not operate on weekends or public holidays.

The city conducted a nighttime trial from Aug. 13 to Aug. 31 this year and reviewed safety with outside experts. The existing daytime service will end with the switch to nighttime operations.

The city envisions the Cheongye A01 nighttime service transforming Cheonggyecheon from a simple transit corridor into a nighttime transportation axis linking downtown tourist destinations and commercial districts — including Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Euljiro and Gwangjang Market.

People strolling along Cheonggyecheon will be able to board the bus at a nearby stop and travel to restaurant streets in Jonggak and Gwancheol-dong, the Euljiro commercial district or Gwangjang Market, weaving together tourism, dining and shopping in a single trip.

Rides will be free during the initial operating period. Passengers will not be charged a fare but must tap a transit card when boarding. Following roughly a year of free demonstration operations from last August through September this year, the city plans to gradually introduce a fare of around 1,400 won for adults and establish the route as a regular public transit service.

Stop locations and real-time service information can be found by searching "Cheongye A01" on Naver Maps or Kakao Map.

Yeo Jang-gwon, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's transportation bureau, said the city aims to "provide a new mobility experience that enriches Seoul nights by conveniently connecting the nighttime scenery of Cheonggyecheon with surrounding areas such as Jonggak and Euljiro through future transportation technology."