There is a significant difference in how mobility companies view public transportation. Tmap is continuously updating various information and features for public transport users, while Kakao Mobility maintains a lukewarm stance, showing an opposite approach.

Tmap is the most proactive company in addressing public transportation needs. Tmap Mobility is evolving from a driver-centric platform to a comprehensive mobility platform that also caters to public transport users. In August 2021, they launched a real-time subway congestion information service in collaboration with the Seoul Metro and SK Telecom.

The Seoul subway, used by an average of 5.45 million people daily, experiences extreme congestion during rush hours, making the subway congestion service extremely useful for public transport users. With the introduction of the subway congestion service, Tmap’s public transport usage has risen to an average of 2 million users per day. This momentum has led Tmap Mobility to plan to integrate a public transport application into Tmap in the first half of next year. Additionally, they plan to incorporate various features for non-drivers, such as an airport bus reservation system, aiming to create a comprehensive mobility platform for everyone, not just drivers.

In contrast, Kakao Mobility has shown a lukewarm response towards public transport. On September 28, the ‘Kakao Subway’ and ‘Kakao Bus’ apps, which were previously managed by Kakao headquarters, were transferred to Kakao Mobility. However, three months later, Kakao Mobility still appears to have little interest in the ‘Kakao Bus’ and ‘Kakao Subway’ services. It remains uncertain whether these two services will be integrated into Kakao T.

Kakao Mobility indicated that “the current Kakao T app is already heavy,” adding that if public transport options like buses and subways were included, it would further increase app capacity and slow down its functionality.

As a result, the Kakao Subway and Kakao Bus services that were transferred from Kakao headquarters have ended up stranded and left separate.

In the metropolitan area, the subway is used by 5.45 million people. Kakao Mobility seems to be missing this demographic and appears to lack any intent to engage with them.

Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr