Hwasun County Councilor Ryu Jongok Urges Introduction of "Hwasun-style iMom Taxi"

Calls for Guaranteeing Mobility Rights for Pregnant Women and Young Children

Ryu Jongok, Councilor of the Hwasun County Council in South Jeolla Province. Provided by the office of Councilor Ryu Jongok.

Ryu Jongok, a member of the Hwasun County Council in South Jeolla Province, has officially proposed the introduction of the "Hwasun-style iMom Taxi" to guarantee mobility rights for pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers.

In a five-minute free speech during the second plenary session of the 278th Hwasun County Council extraordinary meeting held on the 9th, Assemblyman Ryu stated, "It is the responsibility of local governments to guarantee the right of pregnant women and parents of infants and toddlers to travel safely and receive medical care," adding, "We need a policy shift that can address transportation welfare, the local economy, and employment issues at the same time."

Hwasun County is currently operating the "Mom-friendly 100-won Taxi" for residents in areas with poor transportation accessibility. However, criticism has been raised that, because the ordinance limits eligibility to areas not served by rural buses, many pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers who face significant inconvenience in getting around are effectively excluded.

Assemblyman Ryu stressed, "We must not turn a blind eye to the reality of pregnant women in their final month of pregnancy waiting for buses, and parents who have to use public transportation while carrying strollers," and added, "Now is the time to shift to a beneficiary-centered transportation policy that is based not on 'where you live' but on 'who needs it'."

The "Hwasun-style iMom Taxi" proposed by Assemblyman Ryu is based on the iMom Taxi operation model of Eunpyeong District in Seoul and presupposes collaboration with local taxi companies. The plan is to operate dedicated taxis equipped with car seats and safety devices to support hospital transportation for pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers up to 24 months old.

Assemblyman Ryu said, "If we provide stable demand by signing service contracts with local taxi operators, we can achieve a win-win outcome of improving residents' welfare and enhancing the management conditions of the taxi industry," and added, "I hope this policy will be actively adopted so that, at least on the way to the hospital, every mother and child in Hwasun will have nothing to worry about."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.