Party and Government "Discussing Late-Night Taxi Shortage Measures... Actively Considering Solutions Such as Lifting Taxi Restrictions and Expanding Flexible Call Fees"

Discussion on Taxi Shortage Measures through High-Level Party-Government Meeting
"Measures Needed to Address Taxi Demand-Supply Imbalance"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The government and ruling party announced on the 3rd that, as a result of discussions to resolve the late-night taxi shortage, they will implement measures to expand taxi supply such as lifting taxi restrictions and allowing parking outside of garages, as well as expanding late-night transportation options including increased flexible late-night call fees and owl buses.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, the ruling party and government decided on these matters at the 5th High-level Party-Government Council held at the Prime Minister's residence in Samcheong-dong. Yang Geum-hee, the senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a briefing after the meeting, "The ruling party and government seriously recognize the ongoing inconvenience to the public caused by the shortage of taxis during late-night hours, especially in the metropolitan area, and discussed measures to resolve the imbalance between late-night taxi demand and supply."

She added, "The ruling party and government share the understanding that the causes of the late-night taxi shortage are complex factors including outdated and unreasonable regulations limiting taxi supply and low incentives for operating late-night taxis."

Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is delivering opening remarks at the High-level Party-Government Consultation held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Spokesperson Yang said, "The party has requested bold improvements to various regulations that have so far blocked taxi supply, such as taxi restrictions, taxi driver employment procedures, and mandatory garage parking, along with diversification of taxi drivers' working patterns and taxi operation types, expansion of late-night taxi call fees, and extension of public transportation operating hours at night, to promptly alleviate public inconvenience. Additionally, they requested a thorough assessment of the late-night taxi situation not only in the metropolitan area but also in local regions such as Daegu, Busan, and Gwangju, and urged the swift establishment of local-level measures. The government agreed to actively consider these requests."

She continued, "The government plans to actively pursue measures to expand taxi supply, including lifting taxi restrictions, simplifying taxi driver employment procedures, allowing parking outside garages, and introducing part-time work for corporate taxis. At the same time, they will increase flexible call fees limited to late-night hours to enhance incentives for taxi drivers to operate at night, and expand late-night transportation options such as new mobility services differentiated from taxis and owl buses, to minimize public inconvenience during late-night hours."