Taxi stand to be more pleasant and safe

- Defects spotted after installation due to unclear standards for taxi stand facilities and its installation specifications...only half of the local governments regularly manage it

- ACRC recommends to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and 243 local governments to improve the system

(9, January. 2025, ACRC)

Taxi stands will become more safe and pleasant.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC, Chairperson Ryu Chul Whan) came up with measures to improve the inconvenient taxi stands and recommended the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and 243 local governments to improve the system.

Taxi drivers are using taxi stands less than before due to the better accessibility of passenger vehicle transportation platforms – for instance Kakao T – but the stands are still necessary for passengers in major transportation facilities, commercial facilities, and tourist destinations.

There are, however, problems such as lack of relevant regulations on installation specification or waiting space.

Defects on installation happens because passengers and user safety was not able to be considered due to the unclear installation and facilities standards, and outdated stands that were not able to be managed regularly threaten user safety and damage the city’s aesthetics.

ACRC aims to prevent inconveniences and safety-related accidents by asking local governments to come up with the standards for selecting target sites and facility specifications of installation, and asking Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to set a basis for local government to regularly inspects and manages taxi stands.

Taxi stands are not designated as non-smoking areas, although they locate where passengers frequently come and go. In order to prevent damages caused by secondhand smoking, ACRC recommends local governments to stipulate the basis for designating taxi stands as non-smoking areas.

Also, there were concerns on heavy traffic and accidents as the stands are installed on lane without any waiting space, and concerns over passenger accidents when they got on and off also exists.

A policy was proposed therefore to set up a waiting space* for smooth traffic and if not possible, considers the previous history of accident to allow taxis to park for a certain period for passenger safety.

* A taxi stands with short, additional side lane for taxis to park and stop so as not to affect traffic

Director general for Institutional Improvement Min Sung-shim said, “ACRC hopes this recommendation can transform taxi stand into more safe and pleasant space, and we will improve systems going forward by listening what is causing the inconveniences of people.”