A line of people, intoxicated and weary from the festivities of year-end parties, shiver outside Itaewon Station in central Seoul on a cold December night, trying to hail taxis.
The seemingly insignificant task proves to be daunting, as a parade of cabs rush past them in search of passengers looking to travel long distance. “Where are you headed?” a driver asks a potential passenger, before speeding away at his mention of a destination 20 minutes away.
Local taxi drivers’ tendency to cherry-pick passengers after midnight, when public transportation has ceased service, has often been cited as an issue inconveniencing citizens. Such cases are more frequent in December, which is typically when Koreans hold year-end parties that last well into the night.
According to the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission, complaints related to taxis refusing passengers peaked in December for both 2013 and 2014. Nearly half ― 47.9 percent ― of the cases occurred between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., while 99 percent of the cases took place in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
Around 35 percent of the taxi drivers who refused passengers did so because the ride was too short.
“After 2 a.m., there aren’t that many passengers so we have to drive around in an empty car until morning. This is why so many drivers seek long-distance rides,” said a taxi driver surnamed Jeong.
The ACRC data also showed that while drivers preferred longer rides, too far a destination is also a no-go. Nearly 50 percent of the rejected cab service cases involved drivers who rejected passengers going to a different city.
Korean law bars taxis registered in one city from operating inside another city except for traveling between them. Meaning, a driver who drops a passenger in Incheon from Seoul would need to find another passenger coming back to Seoul.
Those wishing to report a taxi driver who refuses a ride can do so by calling Dasan Call Center at 120, which is provided in Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it extended the period when privately owned taxis are allowed to operate by four hours from Dec. 21-31. As a result, an additional 17,000 privately owned cabs are expected to operate in the city each day.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has also introduced a “three-strike rule” for drivers caught refusing rides, which will strip third-time offenders of their taxi permit.
