Chairman Yoon Tae-hoon: "Plan to Connect Fired Tada Drivers to New Jobs"

Interview with the Chairman of the Freelance Driver Cooperative

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] "We are exploring all possible ways to prevent mass layoffs, including sending inquiries to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."

On the 10th, Yoon Tae-hoon, chairman of the Freelancer Driver Cooperative, stated this in a phone interview with Asia Economy. The Freelancer Driver Cooperative is an organization formed by drivers from Tada and Chacha. After the amendment to the Passenger Transport Vehicle Business Act (Passenger Act) was passed, Tada announced the suspension of its 'Basic' service, putting about 10,000 drivers in a situation where their livelihoods are threatened. Tada has already notified partner companies of about a 20% reduction in operations. Because of this, Tada drivers have been expressing their grievances through KakaoTalk group chats and internet cafes.

Chairman Yoon is planning to connect drivers who have lost their jobs with new employment opportunities. He explained, "If Tada ends its service, rental car companies and drivers will lose their place," adding, "We are planning a method to have new mobility startups take over the drivers."

Yoon said, "First, we will inquire with the Ministry of Land about how many vehicles can be exempted from contribution fees, then prepare concrete plans," and explained, "The company needs to operate about 300 vehicles to break even. If contribution fees are waived for around 300 vehicles, the revenue will be somewhat balanced." He estimated that about 2,000 drivers could have jobs if there are around 300 vehicles.

Earlier, the Ministry of Land stated, "The level of contribution fees will be set at a reasonable level through public consultation and reflected in subordinate legislation," and "Exemptions or significant reductions will also be considered for startups below a certain scale." Chairman Yoon added, "Although the business direction of Tada or Chacha has not been decided, drivers have no choice but to look for other jobs," and said, "After meeting with Tada drivers and discussing further, the cooperative plans to explore more possible measures."

In addition to the Freelancer Driver Cooperative, some Tada drivers are organizing an 'Emergency Countermeasures Committee.' The Naver cafe 'Tada Driver,' consisting of 2,000 Tada drivers, posted a notice the day before about forming the emergency committee. A committee official said, "We are in the process of recruiting participants," and added, "We will raise a unified voice focusing on employment issues."

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