Qualification Acquired to Implement Demand-Responsive Metropolitan Mobility Service Supporting Travel Between Two or More Cities and Provinces Within the Metropolitan Area
[‘Demand-Responsive Metropolitan Transportation Service (M-DRT) Agreement Ceremony’ Test Ride Vehicle]
Studio Galilee (CEO Kim Hyun-myung), a demand-responsive mobility platform startup, announced on the 12th that it has received regulatory exemption approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the "Metropolitan Area Demand-Responsive Transit Service (hereinafter 'M-DRT')" smart demonstration project.
Demand-responsive buses (DRT, Demand Responsive Transport), which operate flexibly according to user demand without fixed routes and schedules, are currently restricted by law to operate only in rural and public transportation-deficient areas. However, with this regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption approval, the operational area is temporarily expanded, allowing DRT services within metropolitan areas as well.
This smart demonstration project is being promoted through the national R&D project "M-DRT Practical Technology Development," jointly conducted by six organizations including the Korea Transport Institute and Studio Galilee. The smart demonstration project applies the platform that Studio Galilee, responsible for designing and developing the M-DRT standard platform, began developing in April last year and completed the first phase. Over the next two years of service operation, the technology and services will be further advanced.
The demonstration service target areas were finally selected through a public contest among six local governments in Gyeonggi Province: Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong, Siheung, Paju, and Gwangju. Additionally, final cooperation approval was obtained for three areas in Seoul (around Sadang Station in Dongjak-gu, around DMC Station in Mapo-gu, and around Yangjae Station in Seocho-gu). Earlier, on the 14th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the six local governments in Gyeonggi Province signed an agreement to promote the pilot project, which will begin sequential operation starting in August.
Meanwhile, Studio Galilee, which oversees the operation of the M-DRT demonstration project, has prior experience successfully operating DRT pilot projects in Gwacheon City, Gyeonggi Province, and Cheongju City, Chungbuk Province last year. In particular, in the Cheongju pilot project, Studio Galilee demonstrated the technological capability and business feasibility of its own platform by achieving excellent operational results within a limited budget and receiving high satisfaction from users, leading to its selection as the operator for the expanded project covering 12 eup and myeon areas in Cheongju.
Park Tae-heon, Vice President and Chief Product Officer (CPO) overseeing the M-DRT R&D project at Studio Galilee, stated, "The M-DRT service is an innovative service that enhances the mobility convenience of citizens commuting between Gyeonggi Province and Seoul, and we hope it will greatly help those experiencing inconvenience due to insufficient transportation options and traffic congestion." He added, "Through the M-DRT service, we will strive not only to improve citizens' travel efficiency but also to eliminate blind spots in metropolitan public transportation, increase the modal share of public transit, and create carbon reduction effects, thereby contributing to the overall socioeconomy."
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