Intelligent Shared Taxi 'I-MOA'... Incheon Expands Service to Songdo and Namdong Industrial Complex

Only Same-Gender Ride-Sharing Allowed
30% Fare Discount for Passengers

Intelligent Shared Taxi 'I-MOA' [Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy, reporter Park Hyesook] The city of Incheon will expand the operation of the intelligent shared taxi service 'I-MOA', which was first launched nationwide in Yeongjongdo in April this year, to Songdo and the Namdong Industrial Complex starting October 26.

The I-MOA taxi is a new concept taxi service where, when a passenger calls a taxi using a dedicated app, artificial intelligence matches them with other passengers traveling along a similar route so they can share the ride to their destinations.

The service operates daily from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and only same-gender ride-sharing is permitted through real-name authentication. In addition, it is available only for short-distance rides within 8 kilometers, and ride-sharing passengers must be seated separately in the front and back seats.

Passengers receive a 30% discount and pay only 70% of the regular fare, while taxi drivers receive 70% of the fare from each of the two ride-sharing passengers, resulting in a total income of 140% of the standard fare.

Incheon City was selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'Smart City Challenge Project' and, together with the Hyundai Motor consortium, is piloting various mobility services such as the 'Demand-Responsive I-MOD Bus', which changes bus routes in real time based on demand.

As part of this project, the city developed the I-MOA taxi and plans to expand its service area in the future by linking it with other modes of transportation.

Those who wish to use the service can search for 'I-MOA' or 'Aimoa' in the Google Play Store, install the app, and then call a taxi by following the instructions.