The city said on the 29th that it will begin running the “Dawn Companion Autonomous Bus” A741 at dawn on the 30th. The A741 will make one round trip between Gupabal Station and Yangjae Station, covering 23.5 km (about 14.6 miles). It departs at 3:30 a.m. and, unlike earlier autonomous services, will drive autonomously through school zones and areas protecting children, seniors and persons with disabilities without any manual takeover.
Officials said that since authorities authorized autonomous driving in protected zones on Jan. 26, stretches that previously required test drivers to assume manual control can now be served autonomously.
The A741 follows the local No. 741 route but will stop at only 34 of the line’s 64 regular stops—those with high first-ride demand—allowing it to reach destinations roughly 20 minutes earlier in one direction.
The city will operate the service free of charge while it stabilizes. Riders must tag their transit cards when boarding and alighting, as on regular city buses. For safety, standing passengers are not allowed; if no seats remain, the bus will not take additional passengers.
Earlier, Seoul launched the autonomous A160 bus in November 2024 on the route between Dobongsan Station and Yeongdeungpo Station. Over 15 months, about 27,600 riders used the A160, and no accidents were reported.
In a survey last year of 2,301 autonomous-vehicle riders and general residents, the Seoul Institute found that 73.8% of users were satisfied with the service (an average score of 3.9 out of 5), and 82.6% said they would use it again.
The A160 earned an average satisfaction score of 4.08, indicating strong approval from most riders. Among A160 users, 96.2% rode for commuting, 85.4% were aged 50 or older, and 66.2% worked in manual-labor occupations.
City officials said the findings confirm the service meets its original policy goal of improving mobility for early-morning field workers such as sanitation and security staff.
Seoul plans to add more autonomous buses on early-morning congested routes. By April, the city intends to launch autonomous services on No. 148, running between Sanggye and the Express Bus Terminal, and No. 504, operating between Geumcheon-gu Office and Gwanghwamun.
Yeo Jang-gwon, director of Seoul’s Transportation Office, said, “We empathize with citizens who start their day early, and we will continue expanding the ‘Dawn Companion Autonomous Bus’ to support vulnerable groups. We will concentrate our efforts on establishing the world’s first autonomous-driven, 24-hour uninterrupted public transit system so that the benefits of advanced transportation reach socially disadvantaged people first.”
