"Drive-Thru" Convenient but... Congested Roads Are Frustrating

Surge in 'Drive-Thru' Due to COVID-19 Impact
Increased Users Cause Traffic Congestion
Related Regulations and Systems Still Insufficient

A 'Drive-Thru' civil service issuance center operated by a local community center. Photo by Ministry of the Interior and Safety

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Young-eun] Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), drive-through services at various companies are gaining attention. However, this has caused traffic congestion on some roads as vehicles back up, resulting in mixed evaluations of drive-through services as convenience and inconvenience coexist.

A drive-through is a system where drivers can order and receive drinks or food while remaining seated in their cars. It offers the convenience of not having to get out of the vehicle.

Especially with social distancing measures due to COVID-19, more people are avoiding dining inside stores, making contactless drive-through services very popular.

In fact, companies like Starbucks and McDonald's, which had already introduced drive-through services, are expanding those locations. Recently, convenience stores and hotels are also expected to adopt drive-through services.

On the 10th, CU convenience store announced that it has introduced drive-through services at over 500 stores in the metropolitan area. Lotte Hotel, which was the first in the industry to sell home party menus via drive-through, recently strengthened its service menu.

In the case of Starbucks, the number of customers using drive-through stores has steadily increased. From January to November, the number of orders placed via vehicles at drive-through stores increased by 46% compared to the same period last year. The number of drive-through stores nationwide, which was 273 in October, increased to 282 as of the 13th.

However, as many people use drive-through services, traffic congestion has occurred in some areas. Especially during weekends or rush hours, traffic jams worsen, raising concerns that the safety of both store users and pedestrians could be threatened.

Photo by Community Site Capture

A 51-year-old office worker, Mr. A, who frequently uses drive-through services, said, "I usually buy food through the drive-through after work in the evening, but recently, because of COVID-19, in-store use has become impossible, so more cars seem to be flocking to the drive-through." He added, "Cars line up long and sometimes spill over onto the road or even the side alleys, making it very congested."

Another office worker, Mr. B, 29, said, "When cars crowd into stores with short entrances, they often extend onto the road. When all three lanes are full, cars behind honk, and there are people trying to catch taxis in front, making it chaotic." He continued, "Changing lanes is difficult, and it takes quite a while from ordering at the store to leaving because the cars don’t thin out. When I pass near a drive-through store, even if I’m not using it, I get nervous thinking an accident might happen."

When traffic congestion occurs due to facility installations, a traffic inducement charge may be imposed. However, the target for this charge must be facilities with a total floor area of 15,000 m² or more, such as department stores or large marts, and the criteria for imposing the charge vary by local government, so it is very rare for drive-through stores to be subject to it.

Additionally, there are no specific regulations regarding vehicles visiting stores, so some citizens believe that related regulations should be established or traffic guidance personnel should be deployed near stores to address traffic congestion. As a result, companies that have introduced drive-through services are working on various solutions to alleviate traffic congestion caused by them.

A Starbucks Korea representative said, "We are currently making continuous efforts and considering ways to reduce traffic problems. We are deploying traffic safety managers and designing facilities as efficiently as possible to increase waiting space for incoming vehicles, and we plan to gradually expand and implement these measures."

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