“I run when you call me”… Introduction of AI demand response bus in Sangnam-myeon, Inje

Trial operation starting at the end of this month... Flexible operation on the optimal route according to residents' calls

(Inje = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Young-seo = Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, will introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-based demand response transportation service throughout Sangnam-myeon from the end of this month and begin to eliminate traffic blind spots in rural areas.

As part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' support project for rapid commercialization of AI application products, the county will pilot a 'rural-specific AI-based demand-tailored transportation model (DRT)' and introduce a new public transportation service that operates flexibly according to residents' travel demand.

As of the end of September this year, Sangnam-myeon has 703 people (35%) over the age of 65 out of the total population of 2,010, making it an important place to secure convenient transportation.

However, about 90% of the total area is mountainous, and the villages are widely dispersed, making public transportation difficult to operate.

Currently, 'Village Buses' are operated in Sangnam-myeon along with rural buses, but one village bus only runs 10 times a day on three routes, including Misan-ri, Hanam-ri, and Sangnam-ri, which limits its ability to respond to various travel demands.

In addition, there are no taxi operators using Sangnam-myeon as a business district, so residents are experiencing inconvenience in getting medical treatment or shopping at the grocery store.

Accordingly, the county plans to increase travel convenience and establish an efficient public transportation operating system by applying an AI-based demand response transportation system to existing village buses.

Demand-responsive transportation is achieved when a user calls a vehicle by phone or mobile app, and AI comprehensively analyzes the user's starting point and destination, sets the optimal driving route, and dispatches the vehicle.

The pilot project will be operated by utilizing one existing village bus, maintaining a set route from 7 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., and operating flexibly throughout Sangnam-myeon according to calls from residents from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The military will conduct a pilot operation to analyze usage demand, vehicle waiting time, and operational efficiency, and will deploy one additional vehicle in 2027.

Kwon Oh-young, head of the Safety Transportation Department, said, “Through this project, we will increase the convenience of transportation that the elderly and residents of transportation-vulnerable areas can experience in their daily lives, and build a sustainable rural public transportation system that suits local conditions.”