Starting in June, autonomous driving automobiles will shuttle between Seoul and Jincheon to transport cargo.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 16th that, to spur commercialization of high-speed, long-distance autonomous driving services, it will for the first time permit paid cargo transportation by autonomous driving automobiles. The company that passed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)'s evaluation is autonomous driving software startup RideFlux.
Accordingly, RideFlux will run between the southeastern Seoul logistics complex and the Lotte Parcel Jincheon Mega Hub Terminal starting in June. The distance is 112 km. RideFlux plans to begin the transport service at 90 km/h.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) plans to introduce autonomous driving cargo transport services nationwide this year, including in Jeonju, Gangneung, and Daegu. For safety, a driver will initially operate from the driver's seat. Starting next year, it will shift to unmanned autonomous driving.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) Mobility and Automobile Director Park Jun-hyeong said, "We will support domestic autonomous driving technology so it can be competitive not only in passenger transport but also in cargo transport."