◀ anchor ▶
From now on, we have prepared the time to visit the news site every weekend to see, ask, and listen to in person.
A new corner ‘I’ve been to’, reporter Son-ryeong is here.
hello.
◀ reporter ▶
hello.
◀ anchor ▶
Today, the first order. Where have you been?
◀ reporter ▶
Have you caught a taxi late at night these days?
◀ anchor ▶
It’s a real mess.
Is it that hard to catch?
◀ reporter ▶
This morning, let’s go to Gangnam Station first.
It’s past midnight.
◀ anchor ▶
There are still many cars on the road.
◀ reporter ▶
Every time an empty taxi stops, it rushes in.
“Are you going to Shinsa Station?”
◀ anchor ▶
Oh, I can’t catch it. Where are you this time?
◀ reporter ▶
Early in the morning on Children’s Day, in front of Hapjeong Station.
“Are you going to telephoto?”
“I’m leaving, sir, can you go?”
“I’m not going?”
“It’s Sillim-dong~”
“Paju! Paju!”
◀ anchor ▶
At this time, the bus and the subway will all be cut off…
[남연우/대학생]
“Since I’m in the university dormitory, I have to go early because of the curfew…”
◀ reporter ▶
This student eventually broke the curfew.
◀ anchor ▶
I can’t find a taxi…
◀ reporter ▶
Because I am in a hurry, I even come out to the middle of the road.
◀ anchor ▶
It looks so dangerous…
“Every day, every day, this uncle~”
“It’s empty, xx xx”
◀ reporter ▶
It was a war-like situation, and we installed a 360-degree camera in a taxi and captured the scene.
Hongik University is said to wake up from sleep when the sun goes down.
When darkness falls, a new war begins.
“Are you going to Sillim?”
“How much is Ansan, Ansan?”
The reporters rented a taxi in advance.
Drunk people flock to ask for this to be burned.
“I’m going to Sinchon, and can’t I just ride it once. I know you’re filming, but you can just ride it.”
People running back and forth in search of a road where taxis can be easily found…
Even grab a shared bike or kickboard.
“I didn’t get caught and everything was booked, so I ended up taking the Ttareungi ride. But it’s been a while.”
It wobbles and runs dangerously.
By law, drinking and bicycles are also subject to crackdown.
Some taxi drivers turn on the ‘reservation light’ and cover the customers.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Department has arrived.
“(It’s Anseong) I thought it was Ansan and got it wrong, and (the wrong customer) got off here right away.”
When a police officer approaches to check, they may run away in a hurry.
Let’s call a taxi to Sangam where the company is using the taxi application.
It’s been 30 minutes, and there’s no sign of being caught because it’s a relatively close distance.
Where the hell did all the taxis go?
Let’s go to the taxi company.
This is a taxi depot located in Dongdaemun, Seoul.
Dozens of decent taxis are parked like this.
If you add up the vehicles that were canceled because they could not afford insurance, etc., more than 120 cars are on vacation.
Taxis remain, because there are no drivers to drive them.
[정성관/대덕운수 배차부장]
“The red one is what we have erased, and the black one is a registered vehicle, but there are not enough drivers…”
The corona situation was the decisive blow.
When the late-night passengers disappeared, the drivers left, and the company’s number of drivers, once over 230, has now plummeted to 75.
The actual number of corporate taxi drivers has decreased by 30% compared to 2019, right before Corona 19.
Where did the drivers who put the steering wheel go?
Kim Geun-pyo, who drove a taxi for six months, now works as a delivery man.
[김근표/배달 라이더]
“I had to quit (taxi driving) because of income problems. If I worked 10 hours (a day) and earned 2 (10,000 won), now I am working 6 hours and earning 200.”
Young drivers leave, and the remaining older drivers are reluctant to drive at night.
[황 모 씨/택시 기사]
“Older people still find it difficult to ride motorcycles, so it seems like they stay like this for a while.”
Is there no way for taxi drivers to come back?
In order to guarantee the income of the drivers, the ‘personal payment system’ was abolished and the ‘salary system’ was introduced, but there are limitations.
[안기정/교통시스템연구실 연구위원]
“(Similar to the private payment system), Japan is the only country that does it like Korea. In most foreign countries, it takes the form of a lease (personal taxi).”
The simplest way is to ‘raise the rate’.
The logic of taxi operators is that the basic fare of 3,800 won should be raised to 7,000 won.
[문충석/택시운송조합연합회 이사장]
“I think the drivers are quitting because they can’t make a living and it’s hard. Now, the rates have to go up quickly, so the treatment of the drivers needs to be improved a lot.”
It is difficult for the government to manage taxi fares like public fares.
Instead, we decided to add 3,000 late-night taxis and increase subway and bus service by one hour.
It remains to be seen whether the effect will appear immediately.
So far, I have been to the scene of the taxi riot.
Video planning and coverage: Kim Kyung-rak, Kim Woo-ram / Video composition: Heo In-ha / Video editing: Kim Jong-un
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