An apparatus for controlling operation of a utility vehicle that detects a magnetic field generated by an area signal in electric current supplied from an electric power supply through a boundary wire laid around a working area and is driven by an electric motor powered by an onboard battery that is to be charged at a charging station to run the vehicle within the working area based on the detected magnetic field, comprising: a connecting/disconnecting device that is installed at a location between the electric power supply and the boundary wire to be operable by an user to connect/disconnect supply of the electric current from the electric power supply to the boundary wire; an electronic control unit (84b1) having a microprocessor and a memory, the apparatus being characterized in that the microprocessor of the electronic control unit (84b1) is configured to function as: a reconnection determining unit (84b1) configured to determine whether after power supply from the electric power supply to the boundary wire was once disconnected, the power supply from the electric power supply to the boundary wire is reconnected by the connecting/disconnecting device; a return instruction signal inserting unit (84b2) configured to insert a return instruction signal indicating the vehicle to return to the charging station into a given bit of the area signal when the reconnection determining unit determines that the power supply is reconnected; and a running control unit (44a1) configured to control operation of the electric motor to make the vehicle run to the charging station when the return instruction signal inserting unit (84b2) inserts the return instruction signal into the given bit of the area signal. a connecting/disconnecting device that is installed at a location between the electric power supply and the boundary wire to be operable by an user to connect/disconnect supply of the electric current from the electric power supply to the boundary wire; an electronic control unit (84b1) having a microprocessor and a memory, the apparatus being characterized in that the microprocessor of the electronic control unit (84b1) is configured to function as: a reconnection determining unit (84b1) configured to determine whether after power supply from the electric power supply to the boundary wire was once disconnected, the power supply from the electric power supply to the boundary wire is reconnected by the connecting/disconnecting device; a return instruction signal inserting unit (84b2) configured to insert a return instruction signal indicating the vehicle to return to the charging station into a given bit of the area signal when the reconnection determining unit determines that the power supply is reconnected; and a running control unit (44a1) configured to control operation of the electric motor to make the vehicle run to the charging station when the return instruction signal inserting unit (84b2) inserts the return instruction signal into the given bit of the area signal. a reconnection determining unit (84b1) configured to determine whether after power supply from the electric power supply to the boundary wire was once disconnected, the power supply from the electric power supply to the boundary wire is reconnected by the connecting/disconnecting device; a return instruction signal inserting unit (84b2) configured to insert a return instruction signal indicating the vehicle to return to the charging station into a given bit of the area signal when the reconnection determining unit determines that the power supply is reconnected; and a running control unit (44a1) configured to control operation of the electric motor to make the vehicle run to the charging station when the return instruction signal inserting unit (84b2) inserts the return instruction signal into the given bit of the area signal.