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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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 Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 12:49 pm Post subject: Seoul plans to raise basic taxi fares to W3,000 ASAP |
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/08/116_141611.html
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Seoul plans to raise basic taxi fares to W3,000 By Kang Hyun-kyung
The base rate for a taxi will rise to about 3,000 won from the current 2,400 won beginning as early as next month, according to officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government Friday.
The city will unveil details of taxi fare hikes as early as next week. The decision came after taxi companies and labor unions agreed to raise drivers’ monthly minimum salaries by 21.5 percent on Thursday.
According to the agreement, taxi drivers will receive approximately 1.53 million won as monthly minimum salary and 260,000 won in allowances to cover fuel costs.
The basic taxi rate has been frozen at the current level over the past four years.
Min Soo-hong, chief of taxi policy division of the city government, said that the city authorities will come up with a final plan soon.
“We are now looking into the appropriate level of fare hikes. We want the fare raise to help offset the fall in income from cabbies’ wage increase for taxi operators, and improve taxi services and cabbies’ working conditions,” the official said.
Min said citizens’ rising complaints about poor taxi services are due to bad working conditions for taxi drivers.
“They work long hours but their lives are marginalized as their income level is so low. That’s why we need to raise the fare,” he said.
Once the city government finalizes the plan, it should get the nod from Seoul Metropolitan Council and the committee handling prices and inflation.
The city government is also pushing for adjusting night hours under which surcharges are applied.
The fare hike plan is expected to draw complaints from citizens as they are dissatisfied with taxi services.
Taxi fares in Seoul and its vicinity areas have remained unchanged over the past four years. Calls for raising tax fares in Seoul are mounting as those of other cities and provinces already rose to 2,800 won earlier this year.
Mayor Park Won-soon hinted at a taxi fare hike in June. He said current fares in Seoul are not reflecting global oil prices.
Currently the basic taxi fare for the first two kilometers in Seoul is 2,400 won and 100 won is added for each 144 meters.
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In case you missed it, they're blaming low salaries for dishonesty and rotten service. That seems awfully weak..
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Min said citizens’ rising complaints about poor taxi services are due to bad working conditions for taxi drivers.
“They work long hours but their lives are marginalized as their income level is so low. That’s why we need to raise the fare,” he said.
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tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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Get rid of half of the taxi drivers who normally sit around smoking and drinking coffee for half of their day, then the taxi drivers who want to work will have more business. The article was misleading about their pay. The base pay is set, but drivers who really want to earn a good living make the effort to pick up more customers, rather than sitting at non-taxi stand corners wasting time with their buddies smoking and joking. IMHO
So it is base pay+commission on their fares, so that is the way the article shoul be showing it. |
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tob55
Joined: 29 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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[deleted] double post for some reason 
Last edited by tob55 on Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:39 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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IPayInCash
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: Away from all my board stalkers :)
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Higher pay wont change a damn thing. Thell just have more incentive to blow people off at night in search for a higher payout. Guess Ill be riding the bus more. |
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saram_
Joined: 13 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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Seems about right..
I really hope this puts to an end the angry moans when I tell the drivers my destination.. (If a short ride especially)
It's fair to assume that a taxi driver's main angst was pay especially considering working hours. A thankless job in reality- especially with lots to put with - crazy traffic, drunk passengers, constant worry about accidents etc
It's going to be a pile more expensive to take a taxi but its been coming for ages.. The moving of times of the 20% increase in fare starting from midnight to 11pm is to encourage more taxi drivers to offer their services- cutting down on waiting times for stranded customers etc..
I really hope we see a better service from those that have tended to let the profession down in many ways.
Hopefully they will feel more important and thus do their jobs a little more professionally.
I also think customers will now have a proper reason to report taxi drivers that have acted very unprofessionally more often.
People will expect more. Taxi drivers will have to up their games.
Changing times in the ROK.. |
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newb
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I think they need to cut the taxi fare so more customers can afford to hire them instead taxis just sitting around all day. |
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IPayInCash
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: Away from all my board stalkers :)
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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2400 isnt affordable?
I find Seoul cabs to be probably some of the most affordable ones in the world. Its the cheapest out of any developed country Ive been to. Which countries make you think 2400 isnt affordable? |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Its been 2800 in my town since june. Still very affordable on a teacher's wage. |
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newb
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| IPayInCash wrote: |
2400 isnt affordable?
I find Seoul cabs to be probably some of the most affordable ones in the world. Its the cheapest out of any developed country Ive been to. Which countries make you think 2400 isnt affordable? |
It's non-issue for me, I had my POV which I gave away yesterday as I'm leaving Korea Monday. I'm talking in terms of dirt poor Koreans. Haha.. Yeah, Korea is underdeveloped country. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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If the government suddenly decided to raise the mandatory base pay for NETs, everyone here would clap and applaud. Of course, some Koreans would say the same things about NETs that they are saying about taxi drivers.
If anyone here, who objects to these wage increases, was a taxi driver, they'd be all for the wages and would probably sneer at NET pay raises.
How would we react to this statement?
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| the base pay is set, but NETs who really want to earn a good living make the effort to pick up more private lessons, rather than sitting at bars wasting time with their buddies smoking and joking. IMHO |
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| I think they need to cut the Hagwon lesson rate so more customers can afford to hire them instead of people just deskwarming all day. |
But at least someone gets it and is able to empathize-
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| A thankless job in reality- especially with lots to put with - crazy kids, irate parents, constant worry about being paid on time etc |
Unfortunately, most people can only see things through the "what benefits me" lens. "I have to pay more? Then its wrong."
An exception of course for the anti-price control, free market types. They at least are against the thing on principle.
2400-3000 won unaffordable? Do you know what the price is for a liter of gas? Add in maintenance and wages, and that's a pretty reasonable sum. |
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shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
If the government suddenly decided to raise the mandatory base pay for NETs, everyone here would clap and applaud. Of course, some Koreans would say the same things about NETs that they are saying about taxi drivers.
If anyone here, who objects to these wage increases, was a taxi driver, they'd be all for the wages and would probably sneer at NET pay raises.
How would we react to this statement?
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| the base pay is set, but NETs who really want to earn a good living make the effort to pick up more private lessons, rather than sitting at bars wasting time with their buddies smoking and joking. IMHO |
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1. NETs don't usually waste time smoking and joking with their buddies while they're at work.
2. NETs don't have the option of legally picking up more privates. Cab drivers do though. |
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| The basic fare rose to 2800 down here a few months ago too. I'm quite surprised Seoul had a lower rate to be honest |
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No_hite_pls
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Location: Don't hate me because I'm right
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
If the government suddenly decided to raise the mandatory base pay for NETs, everyone here would clap and applaud. Of course, some Koreans would say the same things about NETs that they are saying about taxi drivers.
If anyone here, who objects to these wage increases, was a taxi driver, they'd be all for the wages and would probably sneer at NET pay raises.
How would we react to this statement?
| Quote: |
| the base pay is set, but NETs who really want to earn a good living make the effort to pick up more private lessons, rather than sitting at bars wasting time with their buddies smoking and joking. IMHO |
| Quote: |
| I think they need to cut the Hagwon lesson rate so more customers can afford to hire them instead of people just deskwarming all day. |
But at least someone gets it and is able to empathize-
| Quote: |
| A thankless job in reality- especially with lots to put with - crazy kids, irate parents, constant worry about being paid on time etc |
Unfortunately, most people can only see things through the "what benefits me" lens. "I have to pay more? Then its wrong."
An exception of course for the anti-price control, free market types. They at least are against the thing on principle.
2400-3000 won unaffordable? Do you know what the price is for a liter of gas? Add in maintenance and wages, and that's a pretty reasonable sum. |
99% of Taxi drivers wouldn't legally qualify for a hagwon job. It is a job for uneducated Koreas. Many are x-cons too.
I am so glad that got a Masters of teaching from a western university that cost thousands of dollars so I can be at the same level as a Taxi driver in steelrails eyes. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| No_hite_pls wrote: |
99% of Taxi drivers wouldn't legally qualify for a hagwon job. It is a job for uneducated Koreas. Many are x-cons too.
I am so glad that got a Masters of teaching from a western university that cost thousands of dollars so I can be at the same level as a Taxi driver in steelrails eyes. |
Right, that is one of the dumber analogies posted up by the king of comparison posting. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
An exception of course for the anti-price control, free market types. They at least are against the thing on principle. |
That would be me (I don't have the cover of "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" as my avatar for nothing!  )
Taxi companies should get to set their own rates. When I said this in another thread, in the past, someone objected by saying the results would be "too chaotic", since different companies would have different rates. But central planning is always going to be less chaotic than individual liberty- that doesn't justify central planning, though. |
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