Seoul City Implements Comprehensive Measures to Address Late-Night Taxi Shortage During Year-End and New Year Period

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 29th that it will implement a comprehensive plan to proactively address the late-night taxi boarding difficulties ahead of the year-end and New Year holidays. Focusing on expanding taxi supply and increasing Owl Bus services, along with the subway operation extension until 1 a.m. that has been in effect since last year, the plan aims to enhance transportation capacity and support safe returns home during the year-end demand period.

From the end of November through December, the city will promote a 'Comprehensive Boarding Difficulty Countermeasure' centered on expanding late-night taxi and bus operations to swiftly support citizens' late-night mobility.

First, to prepare for the expected increase in travel demand during late-night hours at year-end, the city will collaborate with the taxi industry and platform companies to supply an additional 2,500 taxis during late-night hours (targeting a total of 24,000 taxis). It also plans to extend the last bus services on major routes and temporarily increase the number of Owl Buses during the year-end period to provide additional late-night public transportation.

To alleviate taxi waiting queues in areas with concentrated late-night demand, the city will work with the taxi industry to install temporary taxi stands at 12 locations where waiting is expected, matching taxis and passengers on a one-to-one basis to encourage orderly taxi boarding. The temporary stands will be set up at Gangnam Station (2 locations), Hongdae Ipgu Station (2 locations), Jongno 2-ga, Konkuk University Station, Sangam, Yeouido Station, Seoul Station (2 locations), Yongsan Station, and Suseo Station. These temporary taxi stands will operate from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, starting from the 30th of this month, for a total of 8 days during the period of highest taxi demand.

Taxi platform companies will also actively encourage taxi drivers to operate during late-night hours by providing incentives and guidance to secure supply. Participating companies include Kakao Taxi, Tada Taxi, I’m Taxi, Wooty Taxi, and T-money Onda Taxi, which are widely used by citizens.

In addition to increasing taxi supply, from December 4th to January 5th of next year, 86 enforcement officers will be deployed from 4:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. the following day, focusing on major complaint areas such as Hongdae Ipgu and Gangnam Station. They will crack down on refusal to board based on destination, false reservation indicators, and selective passenger pick-up with taxi lights turned off, to ensure citizens can conveniently use taxis.

Regarding bus measures, from the 15th of next month until the year-end, the last bus times on 87 city bus routes passing through 11 major high-demand points in Seoul will be extended until 1 a.m. The 11 major points are Hongdae Ipgu, Gangnam Station, Jongno 2-ga, Yeongdeungpo, Sinchon, Yeoksam, Yeouido, Konkuk University Station, Seoul Station, Myeongdong, and Guro Station?key areas expected to see concentrated use during the year-end period. Additionally, during the same period, the number of Owl Buses on all 14 routes will be temporarily increased by 2 buses each, operating a total of 167 buses.

Finally, the city expressed the position that institutional improvements such as introducing a corporate taxi lease system and a system allowing employment before obtaining driver qualifications are necessary to increase late-night taxi supply, given the aging taxi driver population and difficulties in attracting corporate taxi drivers.

Yoon Jong-jang, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Urban Transportation Office, stated, “This year’s year-end is also expected to see increased nighttime mobility among citizens, so we are making thorough preparations for support measures.” He added, “We will closely cooperate with transportation industry stakeholders and platform companies on the front lines, and proactively increase taxi and public transportation capacity to fully support citizens’ safe and swift return home during the year-end and New Year period.”