Gyeonggi Province: 267 Ddokbus Vehicles in Operation, Targeting 306 by Year-End
Service Begins in Uijeongbu's Minrak and Gosan Districts, Areas with Limited Public Transit
For the First Time, Ddokbus Crosses City Boundaries to Reach Byeollae Station in Namyangju
Gyeonggi Province's 'Ddokbus' will begin operating in Uijeongbu City starting July 1.
A total of eight Ddokbus vehicles will be running in Uijeongbu. They will operate in areas such as Minrak and Gosan Districts, which are new towns where public transportation has been inconvenient. The Uijeongbu Ddokbus will provide service to Byeollae Station in Namyangju only during commuting hours. This is the first time Ddokbus has crossed city and county boundaries, and it is the result of collaboration between Uijeongbu and Namyangju.
'Ddokbus' is an abbreviation for 'Smartly Moving Bus,' and it is a unique brand of Gyeonggi Province. There are no fixed bus routes or predetermined schedules. When a passenger calls from a Ddokbus stop, the bus comes like a taxi. It is possible to ride alone. However, since it operates between designated stops, it is different from a taxi service and is complementary to it.
In summary, it is a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) system. It uses artificial intelligence (AI)-based information and communication technology (ICT) to determine passengers' locations and destinations and provide the most efficient route. In short, it is an advanced transportation system.
Governor Kim Dongyeon pledged in the Gyeonggi Province 8th Popularly Elected Administration's Pledge Implementation Plan, announced in December 2022, his first year in office, that "by 2026, we will introduce and operate 300 demand-responsive buses (Ddokbus)." Including the eight vehicles starting service in Uijeongbu this time, a total of 267 Ddokbus vehicles have been deployed throughout Gyeonggi Province, achieving 89% of the '300 Ddokbus' promise by the third anniversary of his inauguration.
Ddokbus has also attracted attention from overseas local governments. Last August, Governor Kim Dongyeon shared on his social networking service (SNS) that "Gyeonggi Province's 'Ddokbus' was introduced on the homepage of the Government of British Columbia as an AI-based public transportation system that can reduce carbon emissions."
On July 30, 2024, the Province of British Columbia (hereafter BC) reported Governor Kim Dongyeon's visit on its official website and introduced Ddokbus as "an innovative public transit solution that optimizes routes in real time and addresses inefficiencies in public transportation, especially in underserved areas," expressing great interest.
There are two ways to use Ddokbus. You can sign up for the 'Ddokta' app, the integrated transportation platform operated by Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation. By entering your departure and destination in the app, you can access information about the nearest operating Ddokbus vehicle. Everything from calling the bus to payment can be done in one step. Fares are the same as standard city bus fares when using a transportation card: 1,450 won for adults, 1,010 won for teenagers, and 730 won for children. The metropolitan area integrated transfer discount also applies. You can also receive real-time information on route, boarding point, and boarding and alighting times.
In addition to the app, phone reservations are also available.
Gyeonggi Province has deployed Ddokbus primarily in new towns, rural areas, and suburban residential complexes where public transportation infrastructure is lacking.
After first launching a pilot project with 15 vehicles in December 2021 between Unjeong New Town and Gyoha District in Paju City, Ddokbus service expanded following Governor Kim Dongyeon's inauguration: in March 2023, 6 vehicles in Daebudo, Ansan City; in April 2023, 15 vehicles in Godeok International New Town, Pyeongtaek City; and a month later, 10 vehicles in Suwon Gwanggyo 1 and 2-dong. Currently, as previously mentioned, 267 vehicles are in operation across 19 of the 31 cities and counties in the province. Hwaseong City operates the most, with 35 vehicles centered on Dongtan New Town, followed by Suwon City (30 vehicles), Yangju City (25 vehicles), and Paju City (24 vehicles).
Currently, the Ddokta app has 580,762 registered users, and the cumulative number of Ddokbus passengers has reached 8.1 million. Based on these achievements, the province plans to operate a total of 306 Ddokbus vehicles by the end of this year.
According to a satisfaction survey conducted by Gyeonggi Province in August 2024 with 5,887 Ddokbus users, the overall satisfaction score was 83 points, indicating a positive response. In February of this year, a satisfaction survey of Ddokta app users showed an overall service satisfaction score of 83.6 points among 10,407 respondents.
Kang Minseok, spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province, said, "We feel deeply rewarded by the response from 'Sigolin' users who say, 'The world has changed since I started using Ddokta.' In line with Governor Kim Dongyeon's vision, Gyeonggi Province will make every effort to discover policies that residents can truly feel in their daily lives."
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