The new concept transportation service ‘Ddokbus,’ which allows passengers to board at their desired time and place and travel to their desired destination, will begin pilot operation from the 23rd of this month in the Bucheon Beombak, Okgil, and Gokang areas.
Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation announced on the 16th that after piloting Ddokbus in two operating zones within Bucheon City ▲Beombak and Okgil-dong (2 vehicles) ▲Gokangbon and Gokang 1-dong (3 vehicles), official operation will start from April 30.
The vehicles consist of two 12-seater County vans (23 seats including standing) and three 13-seater Solati vans. Operation hours are daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Ddokbus is a unique brand of the Gyeonggi-type demand-responsive transport system (DRT), meaning ‘a smartly moving bus.’
Ddokbus is a customized public transportation service that picks up passengers on demand without fixed routes or schedules, especially in new towns or transportation-vulnerable areas. Unlike conventional buses with fixed routes, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create the optimal travel route in real-time according to passenger demand.
Passengers can call and pay for Ddokbus through the integrated transportation platform app ‘Ddokta,’ operated by 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.
Starting with Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province plans to sequentially introduce Ddokbus in regions such as Anseong, Yeoju, and Yeoncheon this year, operating a total of 125 vehicles.
Um Giman, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Metropolitan Transportation Policy Division, said, "Through the operation of Ddokbus in Bucheon, local residents will receive better transportation services," adding, "We plan to continuously expand the operation of Ddokbus, a customized transportation service, throughout the province to help residents experiencing transportation inconveniences."
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