Some lawmakers are pushing to include taxis in the category of public transportation alongside buses and subways, while some say their move is merely to target votes in the Dec. 19 presidential election.

Should the bill, aimed at promoting public transportation system, pass the National Assembly, taxis will enjoy more fiscal support by the central and provincial governments.

In addition, taxi drivers could be permitted to use bus-only lanes when the laws and regulations are revised.

Members of the Land, Transport & Maritime Affairs Committee of the National Assembly recently unanimously approved the revised motion issued by five lawmakers.

The revised bill would take effect after passing through the Legislation & Judiciary Committee and the National Assembly’s plenary session.

Currently, the public bus industry is backed by government support totaling 1.4 trillion won ($1.27 billion), while support for the taxi industry stands at 760 billion won.

But there is still skepticism among government officials over the action.

A senior public servant said their movement one month ahead of the presidential election is aimed at more votes for the ruling Saenuri Party from taxi drivers.

An official of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said there are few cases of taxis regarded as public transportation in major countries. “There is criticism among relevant ministries, provincial governments and the bus industry.”

In June, taxi drivers in Seoul staged a massive strike, calling for a pay rise and recognition of taxis as public transportation.

The drivers threatened to launch additional action in the latter half of the year if their demands are not met. But the government is not coming up with viable solutions.

They demanded President Lee Myung-bak fulfill his campaign pledge to recognize taxis as public transportation and called for lower gas prices and increase the base fare.

“Taxis take up 47 percent of passenger transportation. But 300,000 cabbies and their families are suffering from unprecedented financial difficulties. The strike, staged by both drivers and taxi companies, shows the industry is facing a serious problem,” the drivers’ groups said in a statement.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)