Icheon City Requests Investigation into Illegal Paid Transportation Activities Such as Private Taxi Operations

1,105 Cases Confirmed...
"Excluded from Insurance Coverage in the Event of an Accident"

The city of Icheon in Gyeonggi Province has requested an investigation by law enforcement authorities into illegal private taxi operations, following the receipt of more than 1,000 related complaints.

On June 24, the Icheon city government announced that, from last year until this month, it had received numerous complaints regarding large-scale illegal paid transportation activities. Of these, 1,105 cases were confirmed and referred to law enforcement for investigation.

Illegal paid transportation refers to the act of transporting passengers for a fee using private or rental vehicles without proper legal authorization. Most of these operations function similarly to call taxis. The current Passenger Transport Service Act strictly prohibits and defines such activities as illegal.

The city explained that vehicles used for illegal operations are not registered with licensed transportation companies. As a result, they are not subject to mandatory vehicle safety inspections or driver qualification checks (including unlicensed drivers), which means they fall outside the scope of legal oversight and can pose a serious threat to user safety. In the event of an accident, passengers may be excluded from automobile insurance coverage and could be left to bear the full extent of any financial losses.

According to the city, in March, one of the vehicles reported for illegal paid transportation within the jurisdiction was involved in a collision with another vehicle, resulting in one fatality.

Kim Kyunghee, Mayor of Icheon, stated, "Illegal paid transportation is not merely a legal violation; it is a serious issue that infringes on the safety and rights of users." She urged, "Please actively report any suspected cases of illegal operations."