Seoul City Moves to End Unfair Taxi Fares for Foreigners... Plans to Display 'Toll Fees' Separately

Foreigners' Taxi App to Clearly Display 'Fare' and 'Toll Fee'
Easier Surcharge Verification... Receipts to Include English
487 QR Reports Filed... Administrative Actions Taken for Violations

Seoul City will separately display the operating fare and toll fees on the taxi app exclusively for foreigners, in an effort to eradicate unfair taxi fare charges experienced by foreigners. Previously, only the 'operating fare' was shown, making it difficult for passengers to recognize if drivers were improperly charging additional road tolls.

On January 20, Seoul City announced that it will distinguish between the operating fare and toll fees on both the taxi app exclusively for foreigners and the app for both foreigners and locals, so that users can check the estimated fare for each item in advance.

Seoul City has decided to separately display the estimated fares for each item, including operation fees and toll fees for paid roads, on the taxi apps exclusively for foreigners and the taxi apps for both foreigners and locals. The photo shows the area around the taxi stand at Seoul Station. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Taxi receipts will also include English translations and indicate whether a surcharge has been applied. Additionally, terminology that previously varied by platform will be standardized as 'Meter Fare' and 'Toll Fee.' The city explained that, until now, paper receipts issued by taxis were only in Korean and did not show whether a surcharge was applied, which allowed taxi drivers to exploit the out-of-district surcharge button and impose unfair charges on foreign passengers. This measure aims to address that issue.

Since last month, Seoul City has been working with Tmoney Mobility, the company operating taxi payment devices, to provide key information such as the final fare and pick-up/drop-off times in both Korean and English on receipts. The receipts also indicate whether a nighttime or out-of-district surcharge was applied and provide information at the bottom on how to report taxi-related inconveniences.

Since launching the nation's first 'Taxi QR Reporting System' in June last year, reports filed by foreigners have surged. Over a six-month period, there were a total of 487 reports from foreigners, with the majority concerning 'unfair fares.' The city is investigating taxi drivers reported for unfair fares and other issues last year, and among these, eight cases were confirmed and resulted in strong administrative actions such as fines. For example, on December 4 last year, a taxi driver (referred to as Mr. A) who transported a foreign passenger from Gimpo Airport to Yeonhui-dong was found to have charged 56,000 won instead of the 32,600 won recorded on the meter, and was penalized for 'unfair fare collection (arbitrary fare).'

Seoul City has placed stickers, banners, and posters promoting the 'QR Taxi Inconvenience Reporting System' inside taxis and at major tourist spots, so that foreigners can immediately report unfair fares or inconveniences while using taxis. The city is also continuously promoting the reporting system through its official social media channels. Yeo Jangkwon, Director of Transportation at Seoul City, stated, "To break the cycle of illegal taxi practices such as unfair fares, we will actively inform foreigners about how to report issues and impose even stronger penalties on drivers found to have violated regulations. We are committed to creating a taxi environment where foreigners can use the service with greater confidence and convenience."