GroundK, led by CEO Dongwon Jang, has launched an information system that shows the real-time location and operating details of municipal public shuttles without any payment or login. The system replaces timetable-only guidance with map-based live tracking, so riders — including elderly and disabled passengers — can check arrival and waiting times without signing up. GroundK is in active talks with several local governments about adoption.
The Problem With Today's Public Shuttles
Free public shuttles run across Seoul and many other regions, but most of them offer only timetable-based guidance. Riders cannot tell where a shuttle is right now or how much longer they have to wait, which makes it hard to predict real arrival and waiting times.
Without real-time location data, the inconvenience falls hardest on mobility-vulnerable riders such as elderly and disabled passengers. Waiting at a stop in cold weather, or arriving early out of fear of missing a shuttle, places a heavier burden on exactly the people public transport is meant to serve.
Why Sharing Driver Phone Numbers Was Not the Answer
Some local governments tried to bridge the gap by publishing the driver's phone number, letting riders call the driver directly to ask where the shuttle was.
That approach reached its limits in driver safety and personal data protection. Expecting a driver to take calls while on the road can compromise safe operation, and exposing a personal phone number to an open group of riders is not a sustainable way to protect private information. In practice, it only patched the problem on the ground rather than solving it.
Built Without Sign-Up or Login — Usable by Anyone
GroundK developed its information system to address these issues. Its defining feature is that it provides the real-time location and accurate operating details of public shuttles with no payment and no login required.
Riders can check a shuttle's live location on a map at any time. The system is deliberately designed so that people who are not comfortable with digital devices can use it without registration or complicated steps, letting anyone read the shuttle's status intuitively. Removing the sign-up barrier reflects the on-the-ground operating experience GroundK has built through its shuttle operations brand, RIDEUS.
Solving Field Problems With Technology — Talks With Local Governments
GroundK is now holding serious discussions with several local governments about adopting the system. The focus is on resolving the day-to-day problems municipalities face when they run public transport themselves, using technology and without adding infrastructure burden.
"We are now holding serious discussions with several local governments about adopting the system. We aim to become a trusted mobility partner for local governments — one that solves real, on-the-ground problems in public transport operations through technology." — Dongwon Jang, CEO of GroundK
Real-time information for public shuttles improves access for mobility-vulnerable riders while raising the perceived efficiency of the public transport that local governments operate. By closing small gaps in the field with technology, GroundK plans to widen its role as a mobility partner that local governments can rely on.