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| Taxis are lined up near Seoul Station in this October photo. The base fare for Seoul taxis will rise from 3,000 won to 3,800 won starting Feb. 16. / Korea Times file |
By Kim Rahn
The base fare for taxis in Seoul will rise to 3,800 won ($3.40) from the current 3,000 won starting 4 a.m. on Feb. 16, the city government said, Wednesday.
The late-night fare from midnight to 4 a.m. will start from 4,600 won, up from 3,600 won. The base fare for deluxe taxis and jumbo taxis will rise to 6,500 won from 5,000 won.
It will be the first fare rise since October 2013.
Seoul City will update the taximeter for the new fare system on Feb. 16, and will display a fare table during the upgrade period to prevent misunderstandings by passengers.
Against public complaints about taxi drivers' reckless driving and unkindness, the Seoul Private Taxi Association came up with pledges to improve services, including allowing more taxis to operate during nighttime, operating a call center to receive passenger complaints, and toughening qualifications for elderly drivers.
In addition to the taxi fare hike, Seoul City is discussing increasing the bus fare with Incheon and Gyeonggi provincial government, considering a hike of 200 won to 300 won. The base fare for Seoul's buses is 1,200 won and that for Gyeonggi and Incheon, 1,250 won. The previous increase was made in June 2015.
Subway fare may also go up from the current 1,250 won by about 200 won.
