The Canadian province of British Columbia (hereinafter referred to as B.C.), which has maintained a sisterhood relationship with Gyeonggi Province for more than 16 years, introduced Gyeonggi Province’s “Smart Bus” as a measure to respond to the climate crisis.

On August 22, Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim shared a link on his social media, saying, “Gyeonggi Province’s Smart Bus was introduced on a website of the B.C. government as an AI-based public transportation system that can reduce carbon emissions.”

On July 30, the B.C. government posted promotional material on its website under the title “Gyeonggi Province Governor’s Visit Spurs New Trade and Investment Opportunities in B.C.”

Per the article: “In an important visit to strengthen international trade ties, [Governor Kim] visited [B.C.], from May 12-13, 2024. This high-profile visit underscored both regions’ cooperation in energy, clean technology and climate change, paving the way for new trade and investment opportunities.”

The article then introduced the Smart Bus, saying, ” The visit also highlighted Gyeonggi’s innovative [Smart Bus] initiative, an AI-powered public transportation system operating on a Demand Responsive Transport model that optimizes routes in real-time, addressing public transit inefficiencies, particularly in underserved areas. This sharing of information can help support the ongoing work being undertaken by the [B.C.] Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to find innovative and resilient solutions to meet the diverse transportation needs of communities in British Columbia.”

“Building on the renewed Enhanced Action Plan and the Statement of Cooperation between the Gyeonggi Ministry of Transportation and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, both regions plan to exchange complementary technologies which may help reduce carbon emissions,” the article also mentioned.

Since establishing their sisterhood relationship in May 2008, Gyeonggi Province and BC have conducted various exchanges, focusing on media content, IT industry, disaster prevention, culture and arts, sports, education, and labor. In May, Governor Kim visited the Lieutenant Governor’s Residence and the provincial legislature of B.C. to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation and attract foreign investment, and had breakfast with Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin and Premier David Eby to discuss cooperation between the two regions. At that time, the B.C. government showed an active attitude toward expanding exchanges between the two regions by offering unusual hospitality, such as inviting the Gyeonggi delegation to the Lieutenant Governor’s Residence, facilitating the laying of a wreath at a monument in front of the B.C. legislature, and arranging a welcome by indigenous people, all on par with a state-level visit.

Smart Bus, which means “smartly moving bus,” is a unique brand element of Gyeonggi Province’s Demand Responsive Transportation System.

Smart Bus is a customized public transportation system that flexibly transports people in response to passenger calls in new urban and transportation-deficient areas without fixed routes and set schedules. Unlike conventional buses with fixed routes, it uses artificial intelligence to create and operate optimal routes in real time according to passenger demand. It is possible to hail and pay fares for the bus through the “Smart Vehicle” app, an integrated transportation platform operated by Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation. The Smart Bus started as a pilot project in Paju City in 202; currently 188 buses operate in 14 cities and counties of the province.