Fare Increase and Part-Time System Introduction... Will Late-Night Taxi Shortage Ease?

Government Announces Measures to Resolve Tonight's Late-Night Taxi Shortage

Seong Il-jong, Chairman of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party, is delivering opening remarks at the party-government meeting held at the National Assembly on the 28th to discuss measures to resolve the late-night taxi shortage. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] On the 4th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will announce measures to alleviate the late-night taxi shortage, focusing on raising late-night call fees and introducing ‘part-time taxi drivers.’

Earlier, on the 3rd, the Presidential Office, government, and ruling party held a high-level party-government meeting to discuss measures to resolve the imbalance between supply and demand for taxis during late-night hours.

The party and government decided to raise the late-night call fee to address the supply-demand imbalance of taxis during late-night hours. Accordingly, the government is expected to finalize and announce a plan to increase the nighttime call fee from the current 3,000 won up to 5,000 won to provide incentives for late-night taxi operations.

If taxi drivers wish, a ‘corporate taxi part-time work’ system will be introduced, allowing them to work only during the profitable late-night hours, and the personal taxi three-shift system (working two days, resting one day) will be lifted to increase taxi supply. These measures are also expected to be included in the plan.

The government also plans to simplify the employment procedures for taxi drivers and allow corporate taxis to park outside of their garages to encourage the ‘U-turn’ of taxi drivers who have left for courier and delivery jobs.

The party and government also decided to expand mobility options differentiated from taxis and provide various late-night transportation means such as owl buses to resolve the taxi shortage.

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