The new concept transportation service "Ddokbus," which allows passengers to board at their desired time and place and travel to their desired destination, will gradually begin operation in 11 neighborhoods including Gwango-dong in Icheon, as well as Janghowon-eup and Yul-myeon areas.
The Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation announced on the 1st that it will conduct a pilot operation of Ddokbus in 11 neighborhoods including Gwango-dong in Icheon starting from the 1st, and will commence official operation from the 8th of this month. The vehicles are 13-seat Hyundai Solati models, with a total of 12 units. Operating hours are from 6:00 AM daily until 12:30 AM the next day. Operations in Janghowon-eup and Yul-myeon will begin on December 20.
Ddokbus is a unique brand of the Gyeonggi Province demand-responsive transport system (DRT), meaning "a smartly moving bus."
It is a customized public transportation service that flexibly transports passengers in new towns or transportation-vulnerable areas without fixed routes or predetermined schedules, responding to passenger calls. Unlike conventional buses with fixed routes, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create optimal travel routes in real time according to passenger demand.
Passengers can call and pay for Ddokbus through the integrated transportation platform app "Ddokta," operated by the Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation. When passengers enter their desired departure and arrival locations in the app, it provides real-time guidance on routes, boarding points, and boarding/alighting times based on the nearest operating Ddokbus vehicle.
Passengers board the Ddokbus at the designated boarding point and expected boarding time. If passengers with similar routes book at the same time, an automatic detour route is created for shared rides. The fare is 1,450 KRW, and integrated metropolitan area transfer discounts apply when using transportation cards.
Currently, Gyeonggi Province operates 107 Ddokbus vehicles across 10 cities and counties, with a cumulative total of 1.2 million passengers.
Following Icheon, Gyeonggi Province plans to newly introduce Ddokbus in the Paju Tanhyeon and Gwangtan areas in December. Paju has been operating Ddokbus in Unjeong and Gyoha since December 2021, and increased the fleet by 5 vehicles in October this year due to rising demand.
Min Kyung-seon, president of the Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation, stated, "As Ddokbus is gaining attention as a new transportation means, it is expected to greatly contribute to citizens' transportation convenience by linking regional hubs such as Icheon Station and Icheon General Terminal." She added, "As Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, we will strive to alleviate public transportation inconveniences through Ddokbus to give residents an extra hour of leisure."
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