[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City announced on the 14th that it plans to apply to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in June for designation as an autonomous driving pilot operation zone.
An autonomous driving pilot operation zone is an area where various regulatory exemptions are applied to promote research and pilot operation of autonomous vehicles. When a city or provincial governor applies for zone designation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Pilot Operation Zone Committee reviews and approves it before final designation.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport aims to commercialize Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which are highly autonomous driving just before full autonomy, by 2027 and lead global autonomous vehicle operation.
To this end, they plan to operate autonomous driving pilot operation zones to identify institutional and technical shortcomings and proactively respond to the future vehicle era.
Incheon City has started establishing an operation plan for the autonomous driving pilot operation zone through a specialized institution.
Incheon is evaluated as an effective space for autonomous driving demonstration due to its systematic road network equipped with smart infrastructure such as airports, ports, and free economic zones, and relatively light traffic volume.
Based on these strengths, the city plans to thoroughly review the competitiveness of the pilot zone through a service project and present future directions and visions for autonomous driving.
Additionally, through proposals from the city council and residents, the feasibility of various routes will be verified, and an optimal route operation plan will be established.
An official from Incheon City stated, "Although Incheon is still a latecomer in the autonomous driving field compared to other cities and provinces, we hope to lead the future mobility business through this pilot operation zone designation," adding, "We will attract research institutions and companies related to autonomous driving to contribute to innovative growth of the local industry and creation of new jobs."
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