Taxi Fare Jumped Sharply... To Go or Not to Go for Portugal Match Street Support?

Starting at midnight on the 3rd, the 'Portugal Match' cheers are great, but
20-40% increased taxi fares cause concerns over 'late-night surcharges'

On the 28th, the second match of Group H in the 2022 Qatar World Cup between South Korea and Ghana took place, and the Red Devils and citizens were passionately cheering at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] During the 2022 Qatar World Cup matches, late-night taxi fares increased, adding to the burden on citizens cheering for the games. The South Korean national soccer team is scheduled to play against Portugal at midnight (Korean time) on the 3rd, and after the maximum 120-minute match ends, fans returning home will have to pay taxi fares with the increased late-night surcharge.

According to Seoul City, starting from 10 PM on the 1st, the 'Taxi Transportation Business Fare Rate Adjustment Plan' will be fully implemented, moving the start time of Seoul taxi late-night surcharges two hours earlier to 10 PM. The basic 20% late-night surcharge rate will also increase up to 40% from 11 PM to 2 AM the next day.

The late-night surcharge period for mid-sized taxis will be extended by 2 hours, from 10 PM to 4 AM the next day. The surcharge rate will rise from the existing 20% to a range of 20-40%. The surcharge rate will be 40% from 11 PM to 2 AM when taxis are in short supply, and 20% at other times. Accordingly, the basic late-night taxi fare will increase from the current 4,600 KRW to a maximum of 5,300 KRW.

Luxury and large (sedan) taxis, which previously had no late-night surcharge, will now have a 20% surcharge applied from 10 PM to 4 AM the next day. A new 20% surcharge will also be applied for trips outside the Seoul area, called the 'outside city surcharge.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Since this taxi fare increase will be applied during the Qatar World Cup matches, the burden on citizens is expected to grow. As the soccer matches take place at night, passengers will have to pay taxi fares with the increased late-night surcharge. According to the Red Devils, the cheering squad for the national soccer team, cheering events including the Portugal match on the 3rd (with cheering starting from the afternoon of the 2nd) are planned at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. So-hyun Hwang (21), a university student living in Bucheon, said, "I was planning to go cheer at Gwanghwamun with friends, but since we live in different areas, it's difficult to split the taxi fare, and the cost is burdensome."

Meanwhile, Seoul City's basic taxi fare will increase by 1,000 KRW from 3,800 KRW to 4,800 KRW starting February next year. The basic distance will also be reduced by 400 meters from the current 2 km to 1.6 km. For luxury large taxis, the fare will increase by 500 KRW from the current 6,500 KRW per 3 km to 7,000 KRW starting February next year.

Additionally, when calling a taxi via an application (app), the basic fare can be as high as approximately 11,720 KRW. According to the late-night call fee policy, from February next year, when calling a taxi via app between midnight and 2 AM, the basic fare will be 6,720 KRW (4,800 KRW base fare plus 40% late-night surcharge), with an additional call fee of up to 5,000 KRW.

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