Busan Taxis Allowed to Refuse Passengers Without Masks... What Do You Think?

Busan City Temporarily Allows Refusal of Boarding to Passengers Without Masks
Transportation Culture Citizens' Coalition "Taxi Drivers Exposed to Risks Amid COVID-19 Crisis"

Busan City announced on the 13th that "to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community and to alleviate the anxiety of transportation workers, taxi drivers are temporarily allowed to refuse passengers not wearing masks until the end of March." Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] "Can't taxis be ventilated?", "Refusing rides is too much."

With mask-wearing becoming routine due to concerns about infection amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in Busan, passengers without masks are not allowed to use taxis.

However, some passengers argue that this is excessive, sparking controversy. Some claim that opening the taxi window for ventilation can prevent infection, while others insist that wearing a mask is essential not only to protect oneself but also to block droplets from spreading to others, leading to conflict.

Recently, Busan city announced that it will temporarily allow refusal of taxi rides to passengers not wearing masks. On the 13th, Busan city stated, "To prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community and to alleviate the anxiety of transportation workers, refusal of taxi rides to passengers not wearing masks will be temporarily permitted until the end of March."

Some citizens who heard the news reacted negatively to the refusal of rides to those without masks. Office worker A (28) said, "It's ridiculous to be refused a ride after paying a lot of money," adding, "Taxis can be ventilated, so this seems too excessive."

Citizen B (61), who recently said they were refused a ride for not wearing a mask, said, "I haven't even caught COVID-19, but I felt like I was being suspected, which was upsetting," and raised their voice, "I heard the taxi industry is struggling these days, but who would want to take a taxi if this continues?"

There are claims that taxis, unlike other public transportation, allow for individual use and therefore ventilation is free, so there is no problem. However, there are also opinions that wearing masks is essential for everyone's safety. Photo by Yonhap News

The problem is that taxis are enclosed spaces of about 2.6㎡ (approximately 0.7 pyeong), where drivers and passengers face each other at close distances, making them vulnerable to infection.

Because of this, there are opinions such as "It is necessary for safety" and "Customers not wearing masks are selfish." Citizen C (56) pointed out, "This is a time when everyone should be careful, so not wearing a mask seems very selfish."

Taxi drivers express concerns about COVID-19 infection but say they have no choice but to operate taxis to make a living.

D, in their 50s, who works as a taxi driver in the Seoul metropolitan area, said, "(Despite the spread of COVID-19) there are customers who get into taxis without wearing masks," adding, "I can't give them a hard time for not wearing masks, so it's awkward." He continued, "The number of passengers has already decreased due to COVID-19, and I am stuck not knowing what to do," and added, "I hope the government would at least mandate mask-wearing on public transportation until the pandemic settles down."

Relatedly, on the 10th, a petition titled "COVID-19 Taxi Drivers Also Want to Stay Healthy. Please Allow Temporary Refusal of Rides for Poor Hygiene" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner, who said they work for a corporate taxi in Gangwon Province, appealed, "Due to regulations that prohibit refusing rides, the taxi industry cannot refuse passengers who do not wear masks or cough after boarding, and we drive on the roads every day worrying about getting infected."

Experts point out that taxi drivers are exposed defenselessly amid the COVID-19 crisis. On the 12th, the Transportation Culture Citizens' Coalition held a press conference at the Ulsan City Council Press Center, stating, "Taxis are wandering the roads every moment looking for passengers and are exposed defenselessly amid the COVID-19 crisis."

Park Youngwoong, head of the Transportation Culture Citizens' Coalition, urged, "When customers have suspicious symptoms and visit health centers or clinics, it is recommended to use private cars rather than taxis, and if the hospitals take measures using ambulances, it would also help create a safer working environment for taxi drivers."

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