Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Transport Corporation have launched the ‘Smart Vehicle’ integrated app. Residents of areas where bus service is infrequent (such as new town or rural areas in the early stages of occupation) can use this app to concurrently access Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) as well as the latest popular private transportation search and payment services for shared personal mobility devices (PM). By the end of the year, the province will pursue connections with other means of public transportation such as taxis and subways, while expanding the targeted cities and counties.

On February 6, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Transport Corporation announced that they would launch the Smart Vehicle integrated transportation platform on February 7. This platform resolves booking and payment as well as DRT and shared personal mobility device access through one application.

‘Smart Vehicle’ means ‘smart riding’ through the use of Gyeonggi’s integrated traffic information service. Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Transport Corporation promoted app development with the Hyundai Motor Company as part of policies to promote future mobility from 2021, and have now released this app.

The newly launched Smart Vehicle app provides access to 10 ‘Smart Buses’ (DRT) and 13,000 electric kickboards (PM).

‘Smart Bus,’ which has been operating since 2021 in the Unjeong area of Paju City, is a ride-sharing-based service that flexibly changes the boarding point and route according to real-time calls from Gyeonggi residents within the operating range. Up to 5 people can call at a time, and transfer discounts for public transportation are also applied through transportation card registration.

Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Transport Corporation aim to provide Smart Bus service in eight cities and counties of the province in the first half of this year, starting with Paju City. In the second half of the year, expansion of the service to other cities and counties is planned.

To date, 15 cities and counties, including Suwon, provide electric kickboard services in connection with one company. Boarding and payment can be performed through Smart Vehicle without downloading a separate external app. In the future, Gyeonggi plans to continue to expand the number of external affiliates so as to provide services throughout the province.

In addition, starting with taxis in the second half of this year, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Transport Corporation are preparing to connect Smart Vehicle with other public transportation means such as buses and subways.

Smart Vehicle can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Users can sign up by linking accounts such as Kakao or Google and registering a payment card for the service. Gyeonggi is also preparing a user review event following the release of the application.

In Chi-kwon, Director of Gyeonggi Province’s Metropolitan Transportation Policy Division, said, “Establishment of an integrated transportation platform (Smart Vehicle) and the operation of smart buses are transportation pledges of the Gyeonggi provincial administration and core initiatives of its opportunity package… By the end of this year, we will link public transportation information to realize transportation welfare that Gyeonggi residents can experience.”

Min Gyeong-seon, President of the Gyeonggi Transport Corporation, said, “We plan to upgrade the platform step by step so that various transportation methods can be linked to the Smart Vehicle app… We will continue to develop the Smart Vehicle platform in line with the changing traffic environment.”