Seoul Metropolitan Government Announces Operation of High-end Taxis

Seoul has the most number of taxis, as well as celebrities, anywhere in Korea. That's a good thing because both locals and tourists won't have a problem going from one place to another. Now, they're in for more good news as the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) - along with a taxi operator and Seoul Taxi Association - announces that it will launch a high-end service while trying to legalize it.

The city government will conduct a trial operation for 30 taxis in October. It will also hire 50 drivers with the help of taxi operator High End to find qualified individuals who'll drive the cabs.

Licenses are required to operate these "luxury cabs" with 2.8-liter engine capacity, such as BMW and Audi. That would include. This decision comes after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport eases guidelines on running high-end taxis, which currently state that these should such cabs should have 3-liter engine capacity.

The service requires a reservation, much like Uber - an app service based in the United States. Though unlike real taxis, these high-end cabs won't have meters or indicator lamps. This means they will look privately owned vehicles except for the yellow license plates. With the absence of a meter, the fare is set at certain rates - around 7,500-8,500 won.

This is more expensive compared to the usual 5,000 won. The drivers will go through special training to become fully qualified to drive locals and tourists to different places. They will also receive higher pay at fixed rates, which is better than the performance-based rates earned by other taxi drivers.

"We think people will find this service useful. Imagine you want to surprise your boyfriend for his birthday. You could surprise him with a high-end taxi", according to the metropolitan government. There is much confidence that the service will attract customers.