Gwangju City Cracks Down Strictly on Taxi Drivers Violating Mask-Wearing Mandate

Citizen Safety First, Strict Non-Tolerance Principle for Violators Leads to Prosecution

Officials from the Public Transportation Department of Gwangju Metropolitan City, along with representatives from the Bus and Taxi Transportation Business Association and the Transportation Culture Training Center, are conducting a campaign at the Gwangju Intercity Bus Terminal and Gwangju Songjeong Station taxi stands to promote the "Mandatory Mask Wearing on Public Transportation." They are placing promotional stickers on parked taxis and distributing masks to citizens. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 13th that it will strictly crack down on transportation workers and passengers who do not wear masks.

This crackdown comes as mask-wearing is properly observed on buses and urban railways, but in the case of taxis, refusal to board passengers without masks is not properly enforced, mainly in areas with concentrated commercial districts during late-night hours.

Gwangju City plans to file complaints against transportation workers and passengers caught in this crackdown, considering fairness with citizens who comply with administrative measures and as a social warning.

Although social distancing was downgraded to Level 1 on the 3rd, the administrative order mandating mask-wearing on public transportation remains in effect, so bus, taxi, and urban railway transportation workers and passengers must wear masks.

Violators may be fined up to 3 million won, and if a violator is diagnosed with COVID-19, compensation for various costs such as hospitalization, treatment, and quarantine expenses may also be claimed.

Heo Ik-bae, Director of the Transportation and Construction Bureau of the city, said, “Disputes between passengers who try to take taxis without masks late at night and transportation workers are increasing,” and added, “From now on, citizens who violate the mask-wearing obligation will be reported under a zero-tolerance policy, prioritizing citizen safety, so we ask that you please wear a mask when using public transportation.”

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