Dongjak-gu's on-demand public transit service, the "Dongjak Call Bus," has surpassed 20,000 cumulative ride requests in just four months of operation, cementing its place as a key mode of transport for local residents.
The Dongjak Call Bus is a demand-responsive transit service: passengers summon a bus through a dedicated smartphone app, and AI generates the optimal route to pick them up.
The service launched in March in the Sadang 4-dong area, a neighborhood long underserved by public transit due to its steep hillside terrain and narrow roads.
Ridership has surged in recent weeks, particularly as the service dramatically cuts waiting times and walking distances during the ongoing heat wave.
As of the third week of July — the service's fourth month of operation — cumulative ride requests stood at 21,828, total passengers carried reached 21,359, and average weekday calls hit 17 per hour, establishing the service as one of the district's primary transit options.
The district has moved to optimize routes by incorporating operational data accumulated since launch alongside feedback from residents.
Four stops with low ridership and high cancellation rates — Sadang General Gymnasium, Samil Swimming Pool, Raemian Roipark Apartment and Solbat Library — will be removed. In their place, a new Namseong Elementary School stop will be added to improve connections to Isu Station (Line 4) and to compensate for the discontinued stops.
The revised route takes effect Aug. 1, bringing the total number of stops to 18 and further improving accessibility for residents.
The Dongjak Call Bus currently operates two 11-seat vehicles — one on weekends and public holidays — year-round from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with ride requests accepted until 9:30 p.m.
Dongjak-gu District Mayor Ryu Sam-young called the service "a transportation innovation that has elevated residents' transit welfare by a full step through cutting-edge technology," adding that the district would "continue building a resident-centered, tailored transit environment by actively reflecting accumulated operational data and voices from the field."
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