South Korea has begun public testing of autonomous buses in Seoul as part of its smart transportation vision. The electric buses, which run on pre-defined city routes, use AI navigation, LiDAR sensors, and 5G-based communication to avoid obstacles and obey traffic laws.
The buses are currently operating with a human backup driver and free for passengers during the pilot phase. Full roll-out is expected by 2026.
Urban transport authorities in Bangladesh and Bhutan have shown interest in studying the project to improve urban mobility in congested cities like Dhaka and Thimphu, where conventional transport systems face increasing pressure.
