Taxi Industry Condemns Court Ruling on 'Tada Not Guilty'... Announces Mass Protest

On the afternoon of October 23 last year, members of the Seoul Private Taxi Transportation Business Association participating in the "Tada Out! Taxi Grand Festival for Coexistence and Innovation" held in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, are shouting slogans demanding the expulsion of Tada.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The taxi industry condemned the court ruling that the car-sharing service 'Tada' is not illegal and demanded that the National Assembly immediately pass the 'Tada Ban Act (Amendment to the Passenger Transport Service Act)'.

On the 19th, four taxi organizations?the National Taxi Labor Union Federation, the National Democratic Taxi Labor Union Federation, the National Private Taxi Transport Business Association Federation, and the National Taxi Transport Business Association Federation?issued a joint statement saying, "(Tada users) call and use vehicles in a manner no different from using taxis, yet the court interpreted this not as illegal passenger transport but as legal car rental," and added, "The recognition that a lease contract was established is unacceptable to the one million taxi families."

That morning, Judge Park Sang-gu of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 18 acquitted Lee Jae-woong, CEO of Socar, and Park Jae-woong, CEO of its subsidiary VCNC, who were indicted for violating the Passenger Transport Service Act.

Following the court ruling, the taxi industry began discussing joint response measures. The Carpool Emergency Countermeasures Committee, composed of the four taxi-related organizations, convened an emergency meeting that afternoon.

In their joint statement, they said, "As the court stated, the law must be interpreted considering the legislative intent of the lawmakers under the principle of legality," and added, "It is contradictory to interpret Tada’s illegal business activities as legal, which are unrelated to the exceptional allowance of driver mediation for rental cars with 13 seats or fewer for 'small to medium-sized group tours.'"

They further urged, "We call on the prosecution to appeal immediately without hesitation," and stated, "We will condemn the court ruling through a general strike and mobilization of all vehicles, and urge the prompt passage of the ‘Tada Ban Act’ currently under review in the National Assembly."