First autonomous village bus launched in Seoul

Up next we share with you a trial run of the first autonomous "Maeul" bus ride here in Seoul.

Cha Yun-kyung reports.

The steering wheel of this bus moves automatically even though the driver takes his hands off.

The bus stops right after it senses the red light.

This is 'Dong-jak A01,' the very first autonomous "Maeul," or "village" bus in the country.

The bus identifies traffic and road conditions in real time through 10 sensors and a vision camera located on the windscreen.

The bus's route runs from the middle gate of Soongsil University to the back gate of Chung-Ang University, which is about 1-point-6-2 kilometers.

Passengers have been impressed with how it navigates narrow lanes.

"The autonomous shuttle bus gave me a smooth ride just like when the bus drivers drive. It was comfortable to ride in."

The bus also switches to manual mode in certain areas, like child protection zones and four-lane roads for safety.

"We operate without human intervention most of the time only except in case of an emergency."

This autonomous village bus will continue its trial run until the end of the week.

From next week, passengers can get on free of charge until the end of the year.

And in the second half of the year, it's scheduled to run in Seoul's Seodaemun-gu and Dongdaemun-gu districts.

Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.