Users can now receive notifications when their bus is approaching, as well as when they need to disembark. (image: A bird’s eye view of Gangnam-daero in Seoul, by Hanwool Kim/Flickr)
SEOUL, April 27 (Korea Bizwire) – Kakao Corporation has announced the launch of a new mobile application, KakaoBus, which provides real-time tracking of public buses, their routes, and stop locations, covering multiple cities across Korea.
It’s a full-on update from an existing application, Seoul Bus, which Kakao took over in 2014.
According to Kakao, the update includes eight new cities and provinces, including Sejong, Cheonan, and Ansan, and now covers 57 cities and provinces in total.
Several features were added to better accommodate users.
Users can now receive notifications when their bus is approaching, as well as when they need to disembark.
Users can also share their bus route’s real-time traffic information with an estimated time of arrival via the KakaoTalk messenger. For ‘red buses’, users can check the number of seats remaining in advance.
The app also provides personalized information based on location, including the nearest bus stop, quickest route home, and available over-night buses.
“We at Kakao wish to provide convenience in the field of ‘movement’, in which Koreans spend an average of 1.8 hours daily,” said Joohwan Jung, vice-president of O2O and Commerce Operations at Kakao.
KakaoBus for Android is expected to be available sometime this week. An iOS version of the app will also launch this week.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
