"Scared to Take the Wheel"... Taxi Drivers Left Defenseless on the Road

Over 3,000 Cases of Driver Assault Reported Each Year
Support for Taxi Protective Partition Installation Effectively Halted
Despite Harsher Penalties, Lenient Sentences Remain the Norm

#. Kim (68), who has been driving a taxi for five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, has recently developed a habit of frequently checking his rearview mirror. This is due to the trauma he suffered after being assaulted multiple times without reason by an intoxicated passenger late at night. He still vividly remembers the passenger's verbal threats, such as "I'll report you and get your license revoked." Kim said, "Whenever I pick up a large passenger at night and have to drive to the outskirts, my heart pounds with fear. It's a torment to drive in a cramped car without knowing who is sitting behind me."

Although the law has been amended to impose heavier penalties for assaults on public transportation drivers, incidents that threaten the safety of taxi drivers—such as disorderly conduct by intoxicated passengers—continue to occur.

According to the National Police Agency on April 9, the number of cases of assault on drivers under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes reached 3,284 last year. While the number dropped from 3,947 in 2023 to 3,498 in 2024, it still remains well above an annual average of 3,000 cases. Based on last year's figures, nine drivers are assaulted every day.

The severity of these incidents is also increasing. On March 5 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, a taxi driver in his 70s was assaulted by a passenger in his 50s, suffering serious injuries including facial fractures and a skull fracture requiring 12 weeks of recovery. Considering the seriousness of the case, the police charged the assailant with attempted murder. On March 21 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, a man in his 40s repeatedly struck a taxi driver in the face with his cell phone, resulting in injuries that required eight weeks of recovery.

The installation of 'protective partitions' to physically safeguard taxi drivers remains sluggish. Protective partitions are transparent barriers installed in vehicles such as taxis and buses to protect drivers. While city buses have been required to install them since 2006, resulting in a 100% installation rate, there are no such mandatory regulations for taxis. As of 2024, out of approximately 70,000 taxis in Seoul, only about 700 have installed protective partitions, accounting for just 1%.

At one point, some local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, provided subsidies for the installation of protective partitions, but these programs have since been suspended. Participation rates were low because taxi drivers had to bear the installation costs themselves. Seoul provided support for the installation of 30 taxis in 2014, 236 in 2019, and 493 in 2021, but the program was discontinued afterward due to a lack of budget and insufficient demand. A Seoul city official explained, "While the vast majority of taxi drivers agreed on the necessity of installing protective partitions, some were reluctant due to cost or because they found them uncomfortable."

There are also criticisms that lenient punishments are failing to reduce the number of victims. Under current law, those who assault or threaten a driver in operation can face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won. Although such assaults can lead to major traffic accidents and threaten multiple lives, in practice, many offenders receive suspended sentences or fines.

An analysis of 10 recent court rulings on driver assault cases by The Asia Business Daily found that only about 20% resulted in actual prison sentences. Most offenders received suspended sentences or light fines because they were first-time offenders, expressed remorse, or had reached a settlement with the victim. In October last year in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, a passenger who struck a driver's face six times while the vehicle was in motion was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years. In Paju, Gyeonggi Province, an assailant with a prior record of violence grabbed the driver's arm and punched him but was only ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and received a suspended sentence.

Lee Hyunro, Head of Organization at the National Taxi Labor Union Federation, said, "Because taxis are enclosed, confined spaces where drivers and passengers are alone, they are extremely vulnerable to crime. There needs to be a societal atmosphere that strictly punishes even minor assaults, and budget support is necessary to reduce the financial burden of installing protective partitions."

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