Gwangmyeong City to Launch Autonomous Bus Service from Cheolsan Station to Gwangmyeong Cave Starting October 7

15-Seater Electric Bus Runs Four Times Daily, Wednesday to Sunday
Connects Key Tourist Attractions Including Oriseowon, Gi Hyeongdo Literature Museum, and Gwangmyeong Cave
Mayor Park Seungwon: "We Will Expand Innovative Transportation Services Using Future Mobility Technologies"

The self-driving shuttle bus that connects major hubs and tourist attractions in Gwangmyeong City will soon be fully operational on the roads.

Gwangmyeong City to Operate Autonomous Shuttle Bus from Cheolsan Station to Gwangmyeong Cave Starting October 7. Provided by Gwangmyeong City.

On September 28, Gwangmyeong City (Mayor Park Seungwon) announced that it will launch operations of the autonomous shuttle bus 'GM1' on a 12.3-kilometer route from Cheolsan Station on Subway Line 7 to Gwangmyeong Cave, starting from October 7.

This vehicle, introduced for the service, is a 15-seater electric bus, with just one bus operating on the route. It will run from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. However, service will not be available on the regular holidays—Monday and Tuesday—or on public holidays.

The bus will operate a total of four times per day. The detailed schedule is as follows: 10:00 a.m. (downward route departing from Cheolsan Station); 11:40 a.m. (upward route departing from Gwangmyeong Cave); 2:00 p.m. (downward); and 3:40 p.m. (upward). The shuttle will make stops at 25 stations on the downward route and 24 stations on the upward route, transporting both residents and visitors.

This route directly connects key transportation hubs such as Cheolsan Station on Line 7 and KTX Gwangmyeong Station, as well as major tourist sites including Oriseowon, Chunghyun Museum, Gi Hyeongdo Literature Museum, and Gwangmyeong Cave. The city expects that the introduction of this autonomous bus will significantly improve accessibility to these attractions and help invigorate regional tourism.

Previously, the Cheolsan Station–Gwangmyeong Cave Orilo section was designated as a 'pilot zone for autonomous vehicles' by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last year. As a result, the city was granted regulatory exemptions related to roads and transportation, and in the first half of this year, it completed the construction of essential infrastructure for autonomous driving, including road communication equipment, high-precision road maps, and online traffic signal controllers. In addition, the city collected demonstration data based on artificial intelligence (AI) and worked to stabilize the system, fully preparing for official operations.

The city plans to link the autonomous vehicle data accumulated from the 'GM1' operation to the development of a smart transportation system in the 'Gwangmyeong Siheung Phase 3 New Town.' The Gwangmyeong Siheung Phase 3 New Town was designated last November as one of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's target sites for the 'Future Mobility Urban Project,' and in the future, advanced mobility service infrastructure such as robotaxis, roboshuttles, and urban air mobility (UAM) is expected to be introduced.

Mayor Park Seungwon of Gwangmyeong City stated, "We will incorporate future mobility technologies into the daily lives of our citizens to significantly enhance transportation convenience," adding, "We will continue to expand safe and innovative smart mobility services in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.