[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Some taxis and call vans operating at Incheon International Airport were caught by the police for charging unfair fares by not using meters or applying surcharges.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Tourism Police Unit announced on the 20th that from May 27 to the 15th of this month, they conducted a thorough investigation of taxi departure and operation records entering and exiting Incheon Airport, focusing on cracking down on illegal transportation cases.
This action was taken following complaints that illegal activities, such as charging unfair fares to tourists using taxis and call vans, have been continuously occurring.
The crackdown revealed that the most common violation was operating taxis without using meters, with 29 cases, followed by 6 cases where surcharges were applied while traveling through joint business zones such as Seoul, Goyang, Gwangmyeong, Gimpo, Bucheon, and Incheon where surcharges are not allowed, and 2 cases of unfair call charges.
Some taxis demanded fares without operating the meter about 60 times from January to March, and there were also cases where call charges were applied 233 times in addition to the fare. Other taxis overcharged by starting the meter in advance.
The police explained that since this crackdown was based on analyzing operation records and meter usage records rather than on-site inspections, it is difficult to accurately determine the amount of unfair fare demands.
Kim Byung-gu, Chief of Incheon Police Agency, stated, "As COVID-19 vaccinations accelerate and the tourism industry recovers, illegal activities by airport taxis and call vans are considered a serious issue that damages the image of the Republic of Korea, and we plan to strengthen crackdowns."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
