Autonomous Bus Route to Launch Between Samsan-dong and Jangsaengpo in Ulsan

Public transportation connecting downtown Ulsan with the coast is about to get a major upgrade. The city of Ulsan has decided to push for an autonomous bus route (a self-driving bus that operates without a driver) linking Samsan-dong and Jangsaengpo starting next year.

Ulsan has two options for securing vehicles: relocating the 19-seat and 9-seat autonomous vehicles currently in trial operation in the Jung-gu innovation city to the Samsan-dong–Jangsaengpo section, or purchasing new vehicles.

"We need to reflect this in the first supplementary budget next year and get at least one or two buses on the road as soon as possible," Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook said during a YouTube live broadcast on the 4th.

However, the new route still requires the creation of high-precision maps and safety reviews, and city officials must also check whether it overlaps with existing public transit routes. As a result, actual operation is expected to begin no earlier than June of next year.