The Seoul Metropolitan Government will officially begin operation of the eco-friendly "Han River Bus" waterway transportation this week, following a three-month trial run.

According to city officials on Monday, the operation of hybrid or electric vessels on a 28-point-nine-kilometer route linking seven docks from the Magok to Jamsil area will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday.

The vessels are expected to travel 14 times daily with a 60- to 90-minute interval between 11 a.m. and 9:37 p.m. through October 9.

From October 10 until the end of this year, they will operate 30 times a day with a 15- to 60-minute interval between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, and between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on weekends.

With a single-use fare of three-thousand won, or around two U.S. dollars and 16 cents, the regular route from Magok to Jamsil will take some 127 minutes, and express vessels running from October 10 will reduce the travel time to around 80 minutes.