Hyundai Engineering & Construction will move to build a residents-only demand-responsive transport (DRT) system consolidating Apgujeong zones 2, 3 and 5. However, Apgujeong zone 4, which is being built by Samsung C&T, is expected to be excluded from the service. Although Apgujeong zone 4 sits between Hyundai Engineering & Construction's zones 3 and 5, the company said it is not considering linking with a site built by another contractor.
DRT is a next-generation transit service that provides the optimal route by reflecting real-time demand when a user, without a fixed route, summons a vehicle through an application (app). It is slated to operate on Shucle, Hyundai Motor Group's DRT platform.
On the 2nd, a Hyundai Engineering & Construction official said, "Because this is our own specialized service for residents of zones 2, 3 and 5, we have not considered at all whether to incorporate other zones," and noted, "It is also not feasible in practical terms."
On the 31st, Hyundai Engineering & Construction was finally selected as the builder for the Apgujeong zone 5 reconstruction. With this, Hyundai Engineering & Construction has secured Apgujeong zones 2, 3 and 5. The company is pursuing its "Apgujeong ONE City" plan to bundle the three zones into a single living area and proposed a residents-only DRT as a core service.
If Hyundai Engineering & Construction's plan proceeds, about 10,000 households in Apgujeong zones 2, 3 and 5 will be consolidated into a single mobility network. The approach is to link major daily hubs—Apgujeong Station, Apgujeong Rodeo Station, Hyundai Department Store, Galleria Department Store, Rodeo Street, and the Han River waterfront—via a residents-only transport network. Through this, Hyundai Engineering & Construction plans to enhance residential convenience and inter-complex connectivity across Apgujeong.
Attention is focusing on Apgujeong zone 4. Apgujeong zone 4, a site where Samsung C&T was chosen as the contractor, sits between Apgujeong zones 3 and 5 secured by Hyundai Engineering & Construction. If the DRT pushed by Hyundai Engineering & Construction is built as planned, zone 4 would be the only one left out at the center of the DRT living area.
However, some in the industry say it is difficult to completely rule out the possibility that related discussions could resurface if residents' demands materialize. Because zone 4 lies between zones 3 and 5, interest among residents could grow depending on DRT performance.
A Samsung C&T official said, "This is not an issue the contractor can decide; it requires the judgment of the association and residents."
An official in the construction industry said, "In the Apgujeong reconstruction, not only is there competition to upgrade individual complexes, but how to bundle the entire living area is becoming an important factor," and added, "Because residents-only services like DRT can affect a complex's competitiveness, if resident demand grows, discussions on linking zone 4 could naturally follow."