Two Han River buses head to Yeouido in Seoul, Thursday, during a trial run ahead of the official launch slated for the first half of this year. Yonhap

Seoul's city government announced on Thursday plans to launch its ambitious water transportation system in the first half of this year, following pilot operations.

Two Han River buses that departed from Sacheon in South Gyeongsang Province on Monday arrived near Yeouido on the Han River on Thursday morning, completing a three-day test voyage through the South Sea and the West Sea.

The two river buses will continue to undergo thorough testing from early March until their official launch, which is scheduled for sometime during the first half of this year.

These river buses are environmentally friendly vehicles constructed from an aluminum alloy. Being lighter than steel, they consume less fuel and are also recyclable, according to the city government.

Powered by lithium-ion batteries and diesel generators, the ships can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 52 percent compared to traditional diesel-powered vessels, the city said.

In addition, the ships are equipped with fire monitoring sensors and safety devices designed to prevent battery fires.

Six docks in the capital — Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Apgujeong, Ttukseom and Jamsil — have been designated to accommodate the river buses. The construction of the Oksu dock is scheduled to be completed in March.

The docks, which will include facilities such as convenience stores, fried chicken restaurants and coffee shops are set to open to the public in April, starting with the Yeouido and Jamsil docks.

Once the river bus operations begin, the city plans to operate them every 15 minutes during peak commuting hours. They will gradually expand the frequency of service based on the arrival times of the Han River buses, even though the official launch is slated for the first half of this year.

"This is the beginning of the era of Korea's first eco-friendly water public transportation," said Park Jin-young, head of the city government's Future Han River Headquarters.

"The city will carry out effective pilot operations before the official launch to ensure that people can use the Han River buses, the first large-scale water public transportation system, more safely and comfortably."