'I-MOD Bus' Called via App... Operating in Incheon Yeongjong International City from the 26th

Expansion to Songdo, Namdong Industrial Complex, and Geomdan New Town by 2022

Demand-responsive 'I-MOD' bus
[Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] A bus service that passengers can call via a smartphone app will be introduced in Yeongjong International City, Incheon.

Incheon City announced that the real-time demand-responsive bus service 'I-MOD Bus' will operate in Yeongjong International City starting from the 26th.

This bus is a new concept of smart mobility service where passengers can call a vehicle to their desired bus stop through an app and travel to the bus stop they want regardless of the bus route.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) searches for the fastest route in real-time and dispatches the bus accordingly. Unlike conventional buses that stop at each stop along a fixed route even if there are no passengers, I-MOD determines the stops based on the passenger's location and destination.

The operating hours are from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM (calls accepted until 11 PM). The fare is a base fare of 1,800 KRW (1,200 KRW for youth, 700 KRW for children), with an additional 100 KRW charged per kilometer beyond 7 km. The additional fare will be applied starting February next year.

Previously, Incheon City was selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Smart City Challenge preliminary project last year, and together with the Hyundai Motor consortium, conducted a pilot of the I-MOD and shared electric scooter I-ZET services to improve public transportation in Yeongjong International City.

During the pilot period from December last year to January this year, 12% of Yeongjong citizens used the service, resulting in a 5-minute reduction in public transportation waiting time and a 15-minute reduction in travel time. Additionally, a survey showed that 91% of users were satisfied with the service.

Incheon City and the Hyundai Motor consortium plan to expand the service area to Songdo International City, Namdong National Industrial Complex, and Geomdan New City by 2022.

They will promote phased pilots to discover various smart mobility service models that can solve urban problems such as traffic congestion, parking, and the environment in these areas.

They plan to introduce a new smart mobility service that changes citizens' lives, the 'Incheon City Social Participation I-Multimodal (a multi-mobility service that conveniently uses various transportation modes through a single app) service.'

▲ I-Multimodal service that links information between transportation modes based on an integrated mobility platform ▲ In-car service providing various lifestyle conveniences inside vehicles ▲ Intelligent shared taxi (I-MOA) service as a taxi ride-sharing brokerage platform to enhance convenience for short-distance taxi passengers and promote coexistence with taxi operators will be promoted.