South Chungcheong Province to run free autonomous late-night bus service

A driverless 9-passenger autonomous late-night bus will begin operating free of charge in Naepocheosin New Town in South Chungcheong Province.

The provincial government announced Thursday that it will run a single autonomous late-night bus on a trial basis for three months — from Sunday through Jan. 31 — as part of its "Naepocheosin New Town Autonomous Driving Pilot Project."

Through the trial, the province plans to verify the stability of autonomous driving in low-visibility nighttime conditions and assess a timetable coordinated with late-night intercity bus arrivals.

In addition, the province will collect operational data on ridership demand and boarding and alighting patterns, and examine whether autonomous vehicles can serve as a viable alternative for late-night public transit, where finding drivers is difficult.

Unlike the existing Naepocheosin autonomous circulator bus, which has a driver's seat, the trial vehicle is a 9-passenger autonomous bus with no steering wheel. A test operator will be on board and can switch to manual control in an emergency. The bus is equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology, meaning the vehicle handles all aspects of driving within a designated zone without driver intervention.

The route covers 6.0 kilometers across seven stops, starting from the Naepocheosin New Town transit hub and connecting Gyeongnam Honorsville, Jihyeong Playground, Jagyeong Village Intersection, Naepocheosin New Town South Plaza, the Sapgyo-eup Community Support Center and Easythe1 Apartments.

The service will run three days a week — Friday through Sunday — with four departures per day, timed to connect with southbound intercity buses arriving at the Naepocheosin New Town transit hub. Departure times are 8:40 p.m., 9:35 p.m., 10:35 p.m. and 11:35 p.m.

The province said it will use data gathered during the trial, along with public feedback, to improve the service and develop autonomous driving into a public transit option that residents can experience in their daily lives.

"Through this trial operation, we aim to reduce travel inconvenience in areas and time slots underserved by public transit and improve transportation convenience for residents," a provincial official said. "We plan to expand the results verified in Naepocheosin New Town to cities and counties across the province, laying the groundwork for the commercialization of autonomous public transit."