Taxi Industry Requests Lifting of Restrictions
City Expects Relief from Taxi Usage Inconveniences During Late Night Hours
[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The taxi restriction system in Chuncheon, which has been implemented on a three-day rotation basis for over 40 years, will be temporarily lifted.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's directive revised in November 2020 specifies that taxis using electric vehicles or hydrogen electric vehicles cannot be subject to the restriction system.
On the 10th, Chuncheon City announced, "From April 1st until October 31st of next year, the taxi restriction system will be temporarily and fully lifted."
According to the city, earlier the Chuncheon Regional Private Taxi Union raised concerns in June last year about unfair discrimination caused by the exemption of environmentally friendly taxis such as electric vehicles from the restriction system, stating that "the full lifting of the restriction system is necessary to resolve relative deprivation."
In response, the city requested prior agreement among the involved parties, including the Private Taxi Union, the Corporate Taxi Council, and the Corporate Taxi Labor Union. Negotiations began in June last year, and an agreement was reached between the parties in February this year.
With the temporary full lifting of the taxi restriction system, the city expects efforts for self-regulation within the taxi industry and improvements in taxi service inconveniences during late-night hours and severe weather conditions.
A city official said, "Although electric taxi operators oppose lifting the taxi restriction system, since most parties in the private and general taxi industries requested and agreed to the full lifting, the decision to lift the taxi restriction system was made."
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