Namyang Newtown 25-Minute Autonomous Loop... First Test Drive of Autonomous Living Lab

Hwaseong Special City (Mayor Jung Myung-geun) held an "Autonomous Living Lab Service Test Drive" on the 9th at the autonomous driving service space adjacent to the Moduneumreum Center to explore the possibilities of future transportation services that citizens can use in their daily lives.

The test drive was attended by approximately 20 people, including Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jung Myung-geun, Jung Kwang-bok, head of the Autonomous Driving Technology Development Innovation Project, and citizen representatives. They received briefings on eight public service sectors of the autonomous living lab.

Participants then had the opportunity to test ride a route-based autonomous bus, autonomous shared vehicles, and transportation-disadvantaged mobility support vehicles. The test drive departed from the autonomous driving service space adjacent to the Moduneumreum Center and covered approximately 5 km through the Namyang Newtown area, lasting about 25 minutes.

The route-based autonomous bus is a public transportation service that operates on set routes, while autonomous shared vehicles are mobility services that can be boarded on demand through reservations. Transportation-disadvantaged mobility support vehicles prioritize enhancing transportation accessibility while considering individual mobility characteristics.

Hwaseong Special City operates an "Autonomous Living Lab (Daily Living Laboratory)" with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, where citizens can experience autonomous driving services in their daily spaces and participate in improvement processes. The project target area encompasses 11 districts including Namyang-eup, Saesol-dong, and Mado-myeon, with a total road length of 167.5 km.

The city plans to progressively expand public service demonstrations in eight sectors including transportation-disadvantaged mobility support, demand-responsive public transportation, autonomous shared vehicles, and route-based public transportation through 2027.

"The value of autonomous driving technology lies in how conveniently it can facilitate citizens' mobility and how comprehensively transportation services can reach areas where they are needed," said Mayor Jung Myung-geun of Hwaseong Special City. "We will reflect the opinions that citizens directly experience and propose in service improvements to enhance user convenience and trust."