Seoul City Launches 'GPS Taxi App Meter' with Enhanced Accuracy Using IT Technology... Expected to Resolve Passenger Inconvenience

Introduction of 'GPS-Based App Meter' with High Location and Distance Accuracy... Full Expansion to All Seoul Taxis Within the Year
'Mechanical Meter' Calculating Wheel Rotations → 'App Meter' Applying IT Technology and Map Location

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is set to fully introduce the ‘GPS-based Taxi App Meter,’ which enhances the accuracy of meter location and distance by incorporating IT technology. This initiative aims to resolve inconveniences experienced by citizens due to meter malfunctions and unfair charges, as well as to improve difficulties faced by the industry that had to manually operate meters one by one.

According to Seoul City on the 23rd, the installation of app meters will begin within this month, with plans to complete the rollout across all operating taxis in Seoul by the end of the year. Since taxi operations using meters first began in Korea in 1921, mechanical meters based on wheel rotations were the only option. However, following regulatory improvements in February, the introduction of GPS-based app meters for mid-sized taxis has become possible.

With the introduction of taxi app meters, it is expected that passenger complaints caused by meter malfunctions will be resolved. Monitoring results of mid-sized taxi app meters showed a fare error rate of 0.87% and a distance error rate of 1.05%, demonstrating significantly higher accuracy compared to mechanical meters. Additionally, the adoption of IT technology will enhance convenience for taxi drivers. Previously, with mechanical meters, drivers had to manually input surcharges for off-clock operations, but with app meters, surcharges are automatically applied based on map data, improving convenience and contributing to the eradication of unfair charges for citizens.

The app’s automatic payment function also allows for the expansion of specialized services. Customized services such as premium taxis and child car seats can be linked through the app meter, which is expected to advance taxi services as a form of mobility.

The city currently operates app meters on 10,409 taxis, including 8,024 mid-sized taxis and 2,385 premium and large passenger taxis. Since both the city and the taxi industry agree on the necessity of introducing app meters for industrial advancement, active support will be provided to ensure that GPS-based app meters are installed on all taxis by the end of this year.

The taxi industry plans to share the costs required for the introduction of app meters through a mutual agreement with T-money, which handles the settlement of taxi operating revenues, and Seoul City will support close cooperation between the two parties. Baek Ho, Director of the Seoul City Urban Transportation Office, stated, “The introduction of GPS-based app meters is expected to dramatically improve passenger inconveniences such as unfair charges caused by meter malfunctions,” adding, “We will actively promote and establish IT-based advanced taxi services, including app meters, to enhance citizen convenience and increase trust in taxis.”

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