South Korea’s LG Uplus Corporation announced that it has launched a self-driving public bus service in the Osiria District of Busan. The company confirmed that the buses have successfully completed 2,000 km of test drives since July, and that they are now ready to enter public service.

LG Uplus has deployed four 16-seater autonomous battery-powered buses on public roads connecting Osiria Station, Lotte Mall, the Busan National Science Museum, and Gijang Coastal Road. The company confirmed that the buses stop and start automatically at traffic lights and safely navigate the route by recognizing pedestrians and road conditions. The public can board and exit the buses at designated bus stops, in the same way as they would with regular buses.

The service is free to the public for now, with the buses operating on the same route daily, and the service quality expected to be improved as a result of passenger feedback.

LG Uplus developed a Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS)-based autonomous driving system in collaboration with local autonomous vehicle manufacturer Rideflux, control systems developer N-Zero, and transportation infrastructure company Tracom. A control centre receives data from the buses and from road infrastructure, monitoring the location of buses and road conditions sent in real time to help ensure safety and efficiency.

LG Uplus said it aims to use this project as a catalyst to accelerate the expansion of its smart mobility ecosystem. Based on autonomous driving and smart transportation technologies, the company plans to expand eco-friendly mobility services nationwide.

Park Jun-seok, head of LG Uplus’ mobility business division, said in a statement: “We will ensure that citizens can experience the best customer experience and new transportation convenience through autonomous buses. We will continue to expand future transportation services and grow together with the local community.”