"We are seeking committee members to lead Gwangju as a pioneering city for autonomous vehicles," the city announced.
The South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City is forming an operations committee with direct authority to designate, modify and lift autonomous vehicle pilot zones within its jurisdiction.
The city is accepting public applications for 13 appointed members of the autonomous vehicle pilot zone operations committee through Sept. 11.
Under the existing framework, governors or mayors would apply to designate a pilot zone, and the Land, Infrastructure and Transport minister would make the final designation following deliberation by a central pilot zone committee under the Act on Promotion of and Support for Commercialization of Autonomous Vehicles.
Authority to modify or lift zone designations also rested in principle with the Land, Infrastructure and Transport minister.
Article 255 of the special act establishing the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City created an exception to this general procedure, allowing the integrated special city mayor to directly designate, modify or lift pilot zones within the city's jurisdiction after consulting with the Land, Infrastructure and Transport minister and obtaining approval from a local committee.
The operations committee the city is now forming will serve as that local committee under the special act, with authority to deliberate and vote on pilot zone designations, modifications and terminations, as well as zone management and expansion, fiscal support, safety regulations, and the construction and operation of autonomous driving cooperative systems and related facilities.
The entire former Gwangju area is currently designated as an autonomous vehicle pilot zone. The city is also internally reviewing plans to use its authority under the special act to expand the zone to cover the broader South Jeolla Province area that became part of the integrated city.
sij@heraldcorp.com
