Self-driving bus running early in the morning...Fast and comfortable way to work.

The first operation of a 'self-driving bus' to help people get to work early in the morning
1 car per day, 50km round trip from Dobongsan Station to Yeongdeungpo Station
Bus fare 'free' for the time being...To be charged in the second half of next year

[Anchor]
For those who start their day earlier than anyone else, such as street cleaners and security guards, it is not easy to use public transportation to work early in the morning.

Seoul's self-driving buses, which carry passengers faster and safer than existing first cars for early-morning workers, have begun their first operation.

This is reporter Cha Jung-yoon.

[Reporter]
At 3:30 a.m. before the window opens, a bus runs down the central lane.

It is an autonomous bus whose steering wheel moves on its own even though the driver's hand is away.

[Jeong Hwa-hyun / Self-driving Bus Safety Management: Drivers intervene in construction areas or child protection areas and drive themselves]

On the bus that arrived 30 minutes earlier than the original first train, citizens get into the car with a more relaxed and generous heart.

[Kang Seung-ja / Seoul Bun-dong: It's good to go early. There are a lot of people on the first train in the morning.]

[Kim Young / Ssangmun-dong, Seoul: That would be great. I have to work by 5:30 in the morning.]

The early morning self-driving bus departs from Dobongsan Mountain's public garage at dawn on weekdays and runs 50 kilometers round-trip to Yeongdeungpo Station via Jongno, Gongdeok, and Yeouido.

Bus fares are free for the time being, but after stabilizing the system, we plan to switch to a fee in the second half of next year.

[Cho Jong-sun / Seoul Metropolitan Transportation Office Self-driving Team Leader: (The first train of the existing route) 2 depart at 3:56 at the same time. Nevertheless, both cars were fully operated. There was a demand for it to be operated earlier.]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand autonomous bus service to crowded routes with many passengers at dawn next year, including three additional early morning bus routes.

I'm YTN's Cha Jung Yoon.

Photographer: Jin Soo-hwan
Edit Video: Lee Kyu