'Taxi Fare Increase Controversy' Leads to Kakao Smart Call Service Termination

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[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Kakao Mobility ended its 'Smart Call' service, a feature that allows users to get taxis faster by paying extra, on the 7th.

Earlier, Kakao Mobility announced a policy in August to apply a dynamic pricing system to Smart Call, which drew heavy criticism from the public. The Smart Call fee was changed from the original 1,000 won to a range of '0 won to a maximum of 5,000 won,' leading to accusations that the company was exploiting its monopoly position to raise prices. ▶See our August 4th article [Exclusive] Kakao Taxi Raises Fast Dispatch 'Smart Call Fee' to Up to 5,000 Won

This criticism later expanded amid controversies over Kakao affiliates' aggressive business expansion. In response, Kakao Mobility nullified the Smart Call price increase and then announced on the 14th of last month that it would completely discontinue the Smart Call service.

Additionally, as part of a win-win plan, the monthly fee for the paid service for taxi drivers, Pro Membership, was reduced from 99,000 won to 39,000 won. Pro Membership is a program that offers priority dispatch benefits. Kakao Mobility also announced plans to withdraw from businesses that have sparked concerns about harming local small businesses. The company will exit the flower, snack, and salad delivery brokerage services for corporate clients.

Kakao Mobility stated, "We will continue to strive to provide better services in the future."

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