"When Will Verbal Abuse and Assaults Against Taxi Drivers End?"

77 Cases of Passenger Assaults on Taxi Drivers Nationwide Last Year
74% of Taxi Workers Experienced Verbal or Physical Abuse from Passengers
Seoul City to Introduce Automatic Reporting System in December
Support for Installing Partitions in 500 Corporate and Private Taxis by Year-End

Verbal abuse and physical assault against taxi drivers continue to occur without interruption. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Verbal abuse and physical assaults against taxi drivers by passengers continue to occur, making it urgent to establish measures to protect taxi drivers. Most of these incidents happen due to conflicts involving heavily intoxicated passengers and taxi fares.

A taxi driver in his 40s in Seoul revealed dashcam footage to some media outlets on the early morning of the 5th, showing severe verbal abuse and physical assault by a male passenger in his 20s, Mr. A, following a dispute over the taxi fare.

In the released video, Mr. A is heard making personal attacks such as "Which university did you graduate from?" and "Are you a taxi driver because you are uneducated?" while kicking and throwing punches.

He did not hesitate to make outrageous remarks. Mr. A said, "You’re really pathetic. Are you taking a taxi because your mother has nothing? Do you know how much my house is worth? Sorry, it’s 1.5 billion won." He continued, "I’m 28 years old. You’re a damn arrogant loser who can’t even make money. At your age, what can you do? Your mom and dad are like that. Insult my mom, hurry up."

That was not all. On the 18th of last month in Incheon, a man in his 50s, Mr. B, was arrested by the police for assaulting a taxi driver in his 60s, leaving the driver in critical condition. Mr. B was reportedly intoxicated and also assaulted the police officers who responded to the call.

On June 27th in Jeju, a man in his 30s, Mr. C, who was intoxicated, caused a disturbance because he was dissatisfied with the taxi route and punched the taxi driver’s face multiple times, resulting in a suspended sentence.

According to a survey by the National Taxi Federation, there were 77 cases of passenger assaults against taxi drivers nationwide last year alone. Additionally, a 2015 survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government targeting 500 individual taxi drivers and 91 corporate taxi companies found that 74% of taxi drivers had experienced verbal abuse or physical assault from passengers.

The National Police Agency reported that over the past 10 years (2008?2017), there were 34,980 cases of assaults against drivers of vehicles in operation. However, the arrest rate for the assailants remains at about 1%. The annual number of arrests and enforcement rates were: 31 cases (0.8%) in 2010, 31 cases (0.9%) in 2011, 17 cases (0.5%) in 2012, 29 cases (0.9%) in 2013, 28 cases (0.9%) in 2014, 25 cases (0.8%) in 2015, and 12 cases (0.9%) by the end of May 2016.

Chungbuk Eumseong-gun announced on February 16 that it installed droplet (saliva droplet) blocking partitions in 172 corporate and individual taxis within the region. [Image source=Yonhap News]

College student Jeong (24) said, "I often use taxis, and when I listen to the drivers’ stories, I realize there are all kinds of people in the world. Drivers live happily all day with just a bright greeting from one passenger, so it really breaks my heart whenever I hear such news."

Mr. Kim (61), who has been driving a taxi for 12 years, shared, "Minor disputes over fares are common. In the past, chatting with passengers was part of the fun, but these days, I just prefer passengers who get in and out quietly and without any trouble."

Meanwhile, some voices call for protective measures such as emergency buttons and partition installations, along with stronger penalties. There is growing demand to mandate partitions in taxis, similar to buses. Currently, assaulting or threatening drivers of vehicles in operation, including those temporarily stopped for boarding or alighting, is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.

On September 29, Seoul City announced that it will introduce an automatic reporting system in December that sends a 112 emergency call when the card payment terminal button is pressed during emergencies such as driver assaults. Additionally, by the end of the year, Seoul plans to support the installation of protective partitions in 500 corporate and individual taxis.

Baek Ho, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, said, "Protecting taxi drivers from assault is about creating a safe environment for citizens to use public transportation. We will implement protective measures such as installing partitions inside taxis and establishing immediate reporting systems, while also making various efforts to foster a culture that respects taxi drivers."

Experts emphasize the need for heavier penalties for assaults on taxi drivers. Professor Lee Yunho of Dongguk University’s Department of Police Administration told YTN, "Crimes against very vulnerable people are punished more severely. For example, women, the elderly, children, or people with disabilities. Taxi drivers should be treated the same way."

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