Yongin City Rolls Up Sleeves to Improve Taxi Service

Starting Next Month, 'Taxi Transport Service Enhancement Improvement Order' Enforced
Prohibition of Offensive Attire... External Display Lights Must Also Be Standardized

Starting next month, taxis in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do must attach and operate taxi signs with a unified design that clearly indicates they are local taxis. Taxi drivers are also prohibited from wearing attire that causes discomfort to passengers or hinders safe driving.

Yongin City announced on the 16th that it has prepared the "Taxi Transportation Service Improvement Order" containing these provisions and will implement it from the 1st of next month. Earlier in May, the city formed this plan through the "Yongin-si Taxi Policy Committee," which included taxi industry representatives and experts, and after administrative notice and public opinion collection, the implementation was finalized.

From next month, unified standards will be applied to the external display lights of taxis in the Yongin area, and taxi drivers will also be prohibited from wearing attire that causes discomfort to passengers.
[Photo by Yongin City]

According to the order, all taxis except franchise taxis must install taxi signs and vacant (reservation) signs applying a unified design and standards presented by the city to clearly indicate that they are operating within the jurisdiction. Installation specifications and locations must also follow the city’s standards. Transportation operators who violate this more than three times a year will face an administrative penalty of a 100,000 KRW fine or a 10-day suspension of operation. Drivers will be fined 100,000 KRW for a single violation.

Drivers must not wear prohibited attire that causes discomfort to passengers or interferes with taxi operation. Prohibited attire includes tight-fitting T-shirts, sleeveless shirts, tops with excessively long sleeves that hinder steering control, shorts, three-quarter pants, pants designed with tears, hats that cover the face to the extent passengers cannot see the driver’s eyes, hats with offensive designs, slippers, high heels with elevated heels, and operating barefoot without socks. Violations will result in a 100,000 KRW fine or a 3-day suspension (first offense), 5-day suspension (second offense) for transportation operators, and a 100,000 KRW fine for drivers.

For deluxe, premium, and large taxis, regulations have been strengthened so that license transfers are only allowed when individual taxi operators report a business change to convert to medium-sized taxis or when general taxi operators transfer all licensed vehicles. Large and premium taxis among general (corporate) or individual taxi operators are limited to 20% of the current licensed number, and business plan change reports are restricted if the total exceeds this limit.

The exterior of deluxe taxis must have a black base with a golden horizontal stripe (indicating deluxe taxi type), and fares must follow the deluxe taxi rates among Gyeonggi-do taxi transportation business fares. Violations will result in a 1,200,000 KRW fine (first offense) and a 20-day partial business suspension (first offense) for transportation operators.

Large (van) taxis and premium taxis must operate on a "complete reservation system" and are prohibited from roaming or stationary operations. To enforce this, taxi call systems capable of designated dispatch based on location information and monitoring systems to prevent roaming operations must be installed, and operators must join call service providers that manage and operate these systems. Operating fares for large (van) and premium taxis are self-reported and applied accordingly but must not borrow the fare standards of medium-sized taxis in Gyeonggi-do. Violations will result in a 1,200,000 KRW fine (first offense) and a 20-day partial business suspension (first offense) for transportation operators.

A city official explained, "Medium-sized taxis are limited to operating within Yongin-si, while premium taxis have the entire Gyeonggi-do area as their business zone. This improvement order is being implemented to prevent passenger confusion and establish passenger order accordingly."