50,000 Taxi Drivers Protest Ride Sharing App in Seoul
It seems to me that going on strike and denying taxi service to customers only encourages those same customers to use ride sharing apps:
Tens of thousands of taxi drivers in South Korea protested in front of the National Assembly Thursday, calling for a ban on Kakao Mobility’s ride-sharing service.
KBS World Radio
The app was set to move from beta testing to full operation this month, but the company put those plans on indefinite hold after a taxi driver self-immolated in protest in front of the National Assembly and later died.
Taxi industry and labor groups waved banners and held up photos of the deceased driver near the legislature, complaining that such ride-sharing apps pose a direct threat to the livelihood of taxi industry workers.
At least four taxi industry and labor groups took part in the rally, the third of its kind in the past three months. Police estimated 40-to-50-thousand were on the streets.
You can read more at the link.
Makes me glad to not be in Seoul… at least not in Seoul looking for a taxi…
proving the need for an alternative to taxi drivers.
Taxi strike = the best time to drive in Seoul — the roads are practically bare. The last time there was a taxi strike, I drove from Namdaemun to Gwangwhamun in one minute (give or take). The next day when all the taxis were back on the road (thus driving like idiots), my wife coined a new name for them: road terrorists.
Surprised Commie Moon isn’t giving them taxi wages.
Again, the problem is government over-regulation of taxis and financial barriers to entry creates an unlevel playing field when compared to ride shares.
Example: Taxi drivers must memorize great amounts of map information, from locations to routes. Ride shares let a computer do all the work.
Reality: The taxi-drives-around-looking-for-roadside-customers is going the way of whale oil and buggy whips. Nearest-taxi-by-app is the (better) future…
…but only an intermediate future to nearest-autonomous-taxi-by app.
…and there will be nobody left to strike.
CH, I think that’s why they got rid of the buggy whips first…
Let’s get rid of the old donkeys with the cart.
I didn’t think Korean taxi drivers had to memorize anything, they never seems to know the locations I ask them to take me….
“they never seems to know the locations I ask them to take me”
I don’t think “ladyboy street” even exists in Korea.
“I don’t think “ladyboy street” even exists in Korea.”
Ok, you start up HH but quickly dip into the 2nd alley on the right; follow the alley past the old man selling corn and take the stairs to his ri….. heyyyy…. 😉
Ah… so it DOES exist.
Next time, ask for “Raidyboee Street” and stop blaming the taxi drivers.
oh no is HH going to the ladyboys?
I had heard about that… And it’s right up there by that waygook temple or whatever… Last time I stayed in Seoul there was a bunch of odd-looking… people… gathered around the front of the Crown Hotel, too…
There were trans bars up top of the hill for as long as I could remember, used to be called “The Wrong Side”. The big club at the bottom across from the beginning of the hill off-and-on was tranny too. What do you want, it’s Asia… 🙄