Hwaseong City Holds Autonomous Driving Test Rides in Namyang New Town, Expands Trials of Eight Public Services

Hwaseong City Holds Test Rides of Buses, Shared Cars, and Vehicles for People with Limited Mobility
Trials to Expand Gradually Across 11 Areas Through 2027
Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun: "We Will Create a Safe and Convenient Future Transportation Environment"

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, held test rides of autonomous buses and shared cars in the Namyang New Town area and began expanding trials of eight public services closely tied to residents' daily lives.

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun listens to an explanation of public services at the autonomous driving living lab. Courtesy of Hwaseong City.

On November 9, Hwaseong City held an “Autonomous Driving Living Lab Service Test-Ride Event” at the autonomous driving service site next to the Modu Nurim Center. About 20 people attended, including Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, Jeong Gwang-bok, head of the Autonomous Driving Technology Development and Innovation Project Group, and representatives of local residents.

After hearing about the autonomous driving public services, attendees took test rides in a route-based autonomous bus, an autonomous shared car, and a vehicle providing mobility support for people with limited mobility. The vehicles departed from the service site next to the Modu Nurim Center and circulated along a route of about 5 kilometers in the Namyang New Town area for approximately 25 minutes.

The route-based bus is a public transportation service that operates along a fixed route. The shared car can be used when needed through a reservation. The vehicle providing mobility support for people with limited mobility is designed to improve access to transportation by reflecting the travel patterns and needs of residents in underserved areas, among others.

Hwaseong City is establishing an “Autonomous Driving Living Lab” with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, where residents can experience autonomous driving services in their daily lives and take part in improving them. The project covers 11 areas, including Namyang-eup, Saesol-dong, and Mado-myeon. It spans a total area of 36.13 square kilometers, with roads measuring 167.5 kilometers in total.

The city plans to gradually expand trials of public services across eight areas in the project area through 2027: mobility support for people with limited mobility, demand-responsive public transportation, autonomous shared cars, route-based public transportation, urban environment management, traffic support during emergency road repairs, passage support for emergency vehicles, and traffic accident prevention patrols.

Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun (fourth from left) poses for a commemorative photo with attendees at a test ride event for the autonomous driving living lab service. Photo provided by Hwaseong City.

“The value of autonomous driving technology lies in how much it can make travel more convenient for residents and how comprehensively it can reach places that need transportation services,” Mayor Jeong said. “We will incorporate feedback from residents who have experienced the services firsthand into improvements, enhancing convenience and trust.”

He added, “We will work with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to keep these services running and expand their scope based on the results. We will create a transportation environment where everyone can travel safely and conveniently, including by launching a pilot autonomous driving service in Dongtan in 2027.”

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