SEOUL, South Korea: The Seoul city government said today it will expand the late-night operation of unmanned taxis to include all of Seoul’s Gangnam district starting this week, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The autonomous late-night cab service, which was launched as part of a pilot programme in September 2024, will begin providing services near Apgujeong, Sinsa, Nonhyeon and Cheongdam subway stations from Monday, according to the city.
Currently, the cabs are available in Gangnam’s Yeoksam-dong, Daechi-dong, Dogok-dong and Samseong-dong.
The initiative, the first of its kind to be introduced by the city, currently operates three cabs from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am on weekdays.
Users can summon the cabs like a regular taxi through the ‘Kakao T’ app, with up to three people allowed to board at a time.
The service had been free of charge during the pilot programme.
The city said it had serviced a total of 4,200 rides since its first operation on September 26, equivalent to an average of 24 rides per day.
Citing a successful pilot programme with zero accidents in Seoul’s Gangnam district, renowned for its complex roads, the city said it could open a path for self-driving cars to become a safe and convenient mode of transportation. – BERNAMA-YONHAP
