Seongnam City Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Operation of Out-of-Area Taxis

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province will conduct a crackdown on illegal operations by out-of-area taxis from the 17th of this month until the 31st of next month, in cooperation with individual and corporate taxi companies.

This crackdown aims to rectify illegal activities by out-of-area taxis waiting and operating outside their business zones to pick up passengers, securing the operating rights of taxi drivers within Seongnam city and revitalizing the taxi industry.

The targets of the crackdown include out-of-area taxis operating in the Seongnam area, illegally parked or stopped taxis around bus stops, and also cover refusal of rides and unfair fare charges during nighttime hours.

Seongnam City will deploy 25 personnel daily, including city officials and taxi drivers, and will also mobilize two CCTV-equipped vehicles for monitoring parking and stopping violations.

The joint public-private crackdown team will conduct operations from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. the next day at seven major station areas with high foot traffic, including Pangyo Station, Jeongja Station, Seohyeon Station, Moran Station, and Yatap Station.

A public-private joint inspection team member in Seongnam City is cracking down on illegal taxi operations from outside the area near Moran Station.

The main focus of the crackdown is out-of-area taxis that illegally park or stop for extended periods within Seongnam city to pick up passengers traveling to areas such as Seoul, Yongin, and Gwangju.

If caught waiting and operating outside their business zones in the Seongnam area, administrative sanctions will be requested from the respective city, county, or district, resulting in a fine of 400,000 KRW.

Additionally, violations such as disorderly conduct at bus stops (fine of 200,000 KRW), refusal of rides (fine of 200,000 KRW), and unfair fare charges (fine of 200,000 KRW) will each incur fines or penalties of 200,000 KRW.

A Seongnam City official stated, "Since the abolition of the taxi rotation system (mandatory day off) in November 2022, illegal operations by out-of-area taxis have been increasing," adding, "We will continue to conduct crackdowns to minimize inconvenience to citizens caused by infringement on the operating rights of local taxi businesses and traffic congestion due to illegal parking and stopping."

Meanwhile, Seongnam City detected 228 cases of illegal operations by out-of-area taxis waiting outside their business zones from January to March this year.