On 29 October 2026, South Chungcheong Province announced a free late-night autonomous bus trial in Naepo New Town. The trial is scheduled to run from 1 November 2026 to 31 January 2027. One nine-seat bus will make four trips per night on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays along a 6.0-kilometre route from Naepo Transfer Centre, with departures timed to connect with arriving express buses. The vehicle has Level 4 automated driving capability and no steering wheel. A test driver will remain on board and can switch to manual control if needed. The province will use the trial to assess performance in low-light conditions and collect data on passenger demand and boarding and alighting patterns.

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