On June 26, Incheon City announced that it will extend the operation of the real-time demand-responsive bus service, 'I-MOD (I-MOD) Bus,' which is currently being operated to improve transportation convenience for residents of Geomdan New Town in Seo-gu, until December.
This bus is a new concept in smart mobility services. When passengers use an app to request a vehicle to the bus stop of their choice, the operating platform calculates the optimal route and dispatches the vehicle to that stop, enabling rapid transportation to the desired destination.
The city introduced this service in September 2021, considering the difficulties residents faced in using public transportation during the initial move-in period of Geomdan New Town.
Originally, the service was planned to operate temporarily until June 28, the opening date of the Geomdan extension of Incheon Subway Line 1. However, the city decided to extend the service for an additional six months, reflecting both the demand for subway use among residents and the need to improve access to subway stations.
The MODU bus (45-seater), which has been operating to Gyeyang Station to support residents' commutes, will end its service this month with the opening of the Geomdan extension. Meanwhile, the number of demand-responsive buses (16-seaters) will be increased from four to six vehicles.
The additional operating costs for this extension will be jointly covered by Incheon Housing and City Development Corporation (iH), the developer of the Geomdan residential site, and Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).
The service will operate during peak commuting hours, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Four I-MOD buses will be deployed around the newly opened stations on the Geomdan extension line, while the remaining two vehicles will continue to support transportation within Geomdan New Town as before.
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