Seoul City Pilot Operation of 'Safe Return Taxi' Service Linked with Ansim-i App... Full Operation in December

Safe Ride Taxi Sharing Real-Time Boarding, Location Info to Be Implemented Citywide in Seoul from the 16th
Safe Ride Scout Started in 2013, Enhancing User Convenience with 24-Hour Real-Time Reservations

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 15th that starting from the 16th, it will pilot the ‘Safe Return Taxi’ service, which links all 70,000 registered taxis in Seoul with the Ansim-i app. Any citizen returning home by Seoul taxi can easily and safely get home by turning on the Ansim-i app and setting their destination before boarding the taxi.

The Ansim-i app connects approximately 70,000 smart CCTVs and the CCTV control centers of 25 autonomous districts to support safe returns with real-time monitoring, and in emergency situations, it can cooperate with the police for on-site dispatch. The ‘Safe Return Taxi’ service notifies registered guardians, acquaintances, or the autonomous district CCTV control center in real time of taxi information, location, and time when boarding and alighting, helping ensure a safe return. Users can also make emergency calls if an urgent situation occurs during the taxi ride. After a one-month pilot operation to check and improve errors, Seoul City plans to fully operate the service from mid-December.

The Ansim-i app service will be completely revamped for the first time in five years. The Safe Return Scout, which supports safe nighttime returns, will be available for real-time 24-hour reservations. Through this full revamp, anyone who wants the accompaniment service can apply without time restrictions, and users will receive real-time notifications about reservations, scout assignments, and scout arrival status before arriving at the designated location.

The emergency reporting method in crisis situations will also be improved. Previously, emergency reports could only be made by pressing the emergency button on the app or shaking the phone, but now pressing either the volume up or volume down button three times will automatically send an emergency report.

Additionally, the previously complicated Ansim-i app main screen has been intuitively arranged and organized around major services, and the locations of safe facilities such as smart security lights can be easily checked through the app. When the safe return monitoring is activated via the Ansim-i app, smart security lights automatically brighten as the user approaches, and in emergency situations when an emergency report is made, the security lights flash automatically to help locate the user quickly. As of September, a total of 6,441 security lights have been installed, and their specific locations can be checked through the Ansim-i app.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, said, “With the operation of the Safe Return Taxi that protects safety on the way home and the complete overhaul of the Ansim-i app, we are providing an integrated support service that raises citizen safety to a new level,” adding, “I hope all citizens who need safety in daily life, such as single-person households, can easily use this service.”

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