Calling Kakao Taxi Now Available at CU Convenience Stores... Kakao Mobility and BGF Join Forces

Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility (from left), Kim Hee-jung, member of the People Power Party, and Min Seung-bae, CEO of BGF Retail, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the 29th to enhance public mobility convenience through the expansion of linkage between convenience stores and mobility services.
[Photo by Kakao Mobility]

Kakao Mobility announced on the 30th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BFG Retail to "enhance national mobility convenience through expanded linkage between convenience stores and mobility services."

Considering cases where it is difficult for the silver generation and others to use taxi applications, Kakao Mobility plans to establish a system where convenience stores assist with taxi calls on their behalf and will work to expand digital inclusiveness. In particular, through this agreement, the two companies plan to develop a method that allows taxis to be called to the storefront by setting the convenience store as the departure point, enabling taxi call services without a smartphone.

Kakao Mobility stated that this agreement is significant in that it aims to improve service accessibility by expanding the touchpoints of online platforms to offline. Even if the user interface and user experience (UI·UX) of the taxi platform are improved, it has been difficult to find a fundamental solution for those who have trouble using the call service due to age, digital device proficiency, or smartphone ownership.

Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, said, "There have been cases where the silver generation and others have difficulty calling taxis via mobile apps, so we have continuously considered 'digital inclusiveness' in the mobility industry. Kakao Mobility will continue to promote mobility innovation while fulfilling its corporate social responsibility to improve mobility convenience for transportation-vulnerable groups, including the digitally disadvantaged."