Kakao Mobility Unveils 'Seodaemun Hope Car' to Improve Mobility Rights for the Mobility-Disadvantaged

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[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Kakao Mobility announced on the 20th that it will launch the ‘Seodaemun Hope Car’ service in collaboration with Seodaemun-gu to support the mobility of vulnerable individuals residing in the district.

Launched officially on the occasion of the 42nd Disabled Persons Day, ‘Seodaemun Hope Car’ is a ‘Barrier-Free Mobility’ service planned and supported by Kakao Mobility as part of its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management strategy to improve mobility rights for vulnerable groups.

In February, Kakao Mobility signed a ‘Business Agreement for Promoting Mobility Support Services for the Transportation Vulnerable’ with Seodaemun-gu and has been continuously exploring ways to reduce mobility barriers for vulnerable individuals.

Both parties plan to support the entire mobility process by operating specially equipped vehicles that can accommodate wheelchair users, providing assistance with boarding and alighting, and offering one-stop additional services such as connecting users with care workers when necessary. The service operation will be managed by the ‘Seodaemun-gu Regional Care Project Group,’ a coalition of social economy enterprises and institutions in the care sector under Seodaemun-gu, enabling agile responses to real-time field situations.

‘Seodaemun Hope Car’ has significantly relaxed eligibility criteria compared to existing mobility services for vulnerable individuals. Residents of Seodaemun-gu can use the service regardless of disability grade upon submission of disability verification documents. It is also available to elderly individuals aged 50 or older without walking disabilities or those temporarily experiencing walking difficulties due to injury. Existing disabled call taxis mostly serve severely disabled individuals with walking impairments or elderly people aged 65 or older who use wheelchairs.

The usage fees are also set at a reasonable level compared to existing mobility services for vulnerable individuals. The base fare is 1,200 KRW for trips within 5 km inside Seodaemun-gu and 2,300 KRW for trips within 10 km to neighboring districts such as Eunpyeong-gu, Mapo-gu, and Jongno-gu. For longer distances, an additional 100 KRW per kilometer is charged on top of the base fare. The fare based on travel distance can be confirmed in advance through the call center when making a reservation.

The maximum capacity of the ‘Seodaemun Hope Car’ is five people, including one wheelchair user, and the service is available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Initially, reservations and consultations will be handled through the call center, and starting in June, the upcoming official website will allow users to make reservations, consult, and check real-time usage status.

Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, said, “Kakao Mobility has participated in planning ‘Seodaemun Hope Car’ from the early stages of the Seodaemun-gu regional care project to ensure that our mobility service operation know-how, promotional marketing capabilities, and donations contribute to lowering the physical barriers faced by vulnerable individuals.” He added, “We will continue to seek practical measures to improve mobility rights for vulnerable groups and fulfill our social responsibilities through various inclusive efforts, such as creating good jobs for the hearing impaired, women, and youth.”

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