Seoul Launches Dawn Autonomous Bus Service for Early Commuters

Seoul, South Korea—An autonomous driving company, AUTONOMOUS A2Z, has launched a new autonomous bus service for early morning commuters in Seoul. 

The service will operate along a 25.7km route from Dobong Transit Center to Yeongdeungpo Station.

The "Dawn Companion" autonomous bus service, which begins its first run at 3:30 AM, serves major transit hubs, including Ssangmun Station, Mia-sagori, Jongno, Gongdeok Station, and Yeouido. 

Passengers can use the service free of charge with their transit cards.

The company has introduced strict safety measures, including a no-stopping zone and automatic skip-stop operation when buses reach capacity.

Passengers are not allowed to move during transit and the vehicles have safety systems that can react immediately in unexpected situations.

Jihyeong Han, the CEO of AUTONOMOUS A2Z, said the service aims to improve citizen mobility and address public transportation challenges, which marks "an important starting point for building a sustainable future transportation system."

AUTONOMOUS A2Z has demonstrated its technology through various autonomous transit operations across South Korea, including the day-and-night bus service in Anyang, the Incheon Airport shuttle, Daegu's Dalgubeol autonomous vehicle service, and the high-speed autonomous bus in Sejong's BRT system.