'Gyeonggi-do Taxi Fares Also Increase'... Base Fare '4,800 Won' from July 1st

Gyeonggi Province will increase the basic taxi fare from 3,800 won to 4,800 won, a 1,000 won (22.56%) hike, starting at 4 a.m. on July 1. The late-night surcharge period will be extended by moving the start time one hour earlier, from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., and the surcharge rate will be raised from 20% to 30%.

On April 17, Gyeonggi Province held the 'Consumer Policy Committee' and announced on the 26th that it had approved the 'Gyeonggi Province Compromise Plan for Taxi Fare Increase,' which partially revised the late-night surcharge considering the characteristics of Gyeonggi Province within the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly.

The final compromise plan reflects the opinions of the taxi industry, residents, the provincial assembly, and experts, resulting in a 22.56% increase compared to the current fare rates.

This taxi fare increase is the first in 4 years and 2 months since May 2019 and aims to alleviate the management difficulties faced by the taxi industry due to rising fuel and labor costs and to improve the poor working conditions of corporate taxi drivers.

Earlier in February this year, the need for a fare increase was raised due to fare hikes in other local governments, but Gyeonggi Province delayed the fare increase by about six months considering the economic difficulties of residents.

Looking at the specific increase plan, 15 cities and counties including Suwon and Seongnam will shorten the basic distance from the current 2 km to 1.6 km, and the distance and time fares will be shortened from '132 m and 31 seconds' to '131 m and 30 seconds.'

Additionally, eight cities and counties including Yongin and Hwaseong will shorten the basic distance by 200 m to 1.8 km, while seven cities and counties including Icheon and Anseong will maintain the basic distance (2 km) as is. The distance and time fares will also be maintained to reduce fare disparities by region.

For deluxe and large passenger taxis, which account for 0.7% of all taxis, the basic fare (3 km) will be raised from 6,500 won to 7,000 won, and additional distance fares will increase by 200 won every 144 m, and time fares by 200 won every 35 seconds.

Furthermore, small and compact taxis, which currently do not operate in Gyeonggi Province, are included in the basic fare increase plan to enhance convenience for residents with a wider variety of taxi types in the future. The basic fare is set at 3,500 won for small taxis and 3,400 won for compact taxis.

Along with this fare increase, Gyeonggi Province will actively promote improvements in the treatment of taxi workers and enhancement of passenger services.

First, for six months after the fare increase, the transportation income base for corporate taxis will be frozen, and companies will provide support payments of 100,000 won to new hires and 200,000 won to re-employed drivers. Additionally, interpretation services for individual taxis catering to the increasing number of foreign tourists and a lost-and-found center for corporate taxis will be implemented. Special training will be conducted by the association for drivers who violate regulations or receive complaints, and the results must be submitted.

Kim Hyo-hwan, head of the Taxi Transportation Division of the province, said, "The taxi fare increase was a matter directly related to the cost of living and the livelihoods of industry workers, involving conflicting interests, but we were able to prepare an adjustment plan suitable for the province by gathering opinions from various sectors." He added, "We will do our best to build a taxi industry ecosystem that satisfies both the industry and residents."

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