A self-driving bus picks up passengers at the plaza outside Osiria Station in Gijang-gun, Busan, during a test run Thursday. The city’s first autonomous bus will operate throughout the Osiria Tourism Complex until next month, with public passenger service scheduled to begin after September. (Yonhap)
A self-driving bus picks up passengers at the plaza outside Osiria Station in Gijang-gun, Busan, during a test run Thursday. The city’s first autonomous bus will operate throughout the Osiria Tourism Complex until next month, with public passenger service scheduled to begin after September. (Yonhap)

Busan unveiled its first autonomous bus service Thursday at a ceremony at Osiria Station in Busan.

Starting next month, four self-driving buses, each with 15 passenger seats, will begin pilot operations within the Osiria tourism complex.

The service is scheduled to open to the public in September.

“The launch of Busan’s first autonomous bus service means our daily lives are now entering an AI-based transportation era,” Mayor Park Heong-joon said at the ceremony.

Busan city officials and invited guests, including members of the media, ride the self-driving bus in Busan during its test-run Thursday. (Yonhap)
Busan city officials and invited guests, including members of the media, ride the self-driving bus in Busan during its test-run Thursday. (Yonhap)

The vehicles are equipped with Level 3 self-driving technology, which allows conditional autonomous operation, typically on highways or designated routes, and still requires a driver on board to intervene in emergencies.

Located in Gijang-gun in Busan, the Osiria tourism complex was developed by the Busan Metropolitan Corp. and spans 3.66 square kilometers. The area includes accommodations, shopping centers, and theme parks.

The autonomous buses will run along six roads within the complex, covering a total of 4.75 kilometers, according to a city plan announced last year.

They will share the road with regular traffic and do not have dedicated lanes.

City officials added that the autonomous route is expected to expand next year to include areas of Haeundae, one of Busan’s most popular tourist destinations.


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