Self-driving taxis to roam Gangnam's streets at night from Thursday

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Wednesday that a pilot program featuring three autonomous taxis will commence, marking the first of its kind in the country. The taxis will operate from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays.

A nighttime self-driving taxi operates on a street in southern Seoul in a photo provided by the Seoul city government on Wednesday. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Nighttime self-driving taxis will begin operating in southern Seoul starting Thursday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Wednesday that a pilot program featuring three autonomous taxis will commence, marking the first of its kind in the country. The taxis will operate from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays.

Unlike the city's self-driving buses, these taxis will not follow specially designated routes. Instead, they will roam freely within an area of 11.7 square kilometers (2,891 acres) in the Gangnam District, covering parts of Yeoksam, Daechi, Dogok and Samseong-dong, as well as Seocho-dong in Seocho District.

Passengers can find these taxis along major roads, including Bongeunsa-ro, Teheran-ro, Dogok-ro, Nambusunhwan-ro, Gaepo-ro, Gangnam-daero, Nonhyeon-ro, Eonju-ro, Samseong-ro and Yeongdong-daero.

The service is expected to expand to additional areas in southern Seoul, such as Nonhyeon, Sinsa and Apgujeong, by the first half of next year.

A nighttime self-driving taxi operates on a street in southern Seoul in a photo provided by the Seoul city government on Wednesday. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Taxi fares will be free throughout the year. Passengers will be able to request these taxis using the transportation app Kakao T, similar to regular taxi services. The option for the autonomous taxi will appear when a passenger requests a ride within the service area.

Despite being self-driving, a driver will remain in the vehicle, as the taxis will only operate autonomously on roads with at least four lanes. On narrow roads like backroads and in school zones, a driver will take control for safety reasons, according to a city government official.

Each ride can accommodate up to three passengers.

The three taxis will all be KG Mobility's Korando e-Motions, an electric version of its popular SUV model. Two spare vehicles have been prepared in case of malfunctions, according to the city government.

Meanwhile, the city has been operating self-driving transportation services, including autonomous buses traveling from Cheonggye Stream to Gwangjang Market in central Seoul, as well as self-driving cars in Sangam-dong, Mapo District.

These can be accessed through the TAP! application, with plans to integrate them into the Kakao T app by the end of this year.

Additionally, the city has been operating autonomous nighttime bus services that run from Hapjeong Station in western Seoul to Dongdaemun Station in eastern Seoul, along with self-driving bus services around the Blue House in central Seoul.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]