With the increase in taxi fares, medium taxi fares have now surpassed those of large taxis. As medium taxis have become more expensive, customers are opting for larger taxis via services like Kakao Mobility and Tada.
The city of Seoul raised the general medium taxi fare from February 1. The base fare has been increased by 1,000 won, from the previous 3,800 won to 4,800 won. Late-night fares have also significantly increased, with the base fare starting at 5,800 won after 10 PM, including a 20% surcharge. From 11 PM to 2 AM, the base fare rises to 6,700 won with an additional 20% surcharge. Charges are also applied based on distance in accordance with the new base fare.
However, large taxi fares have not increased. Services such as Kakao Mobility’s large taxi Venti and Tada’s large taxi Next are still operating under their previous fare structures.
Kakao’s Venti starts from a base fare of 4,000 won, with a fare of 100 won charged for every 131 meters, just like the general medium taxi. During daytime hours excluding late-night surcharge times, it is 800 won cheaper. Venti also applies flexible pricing based on the time of day, ranging from 0.8 times to 2 times the existing fare, allowing customers to ride for even less during less busy hours. Tada Next also begins with the same base fare of 4,000 won as Kakao Venti.
As the prices of medium taxis and large taxis have flipped, more consumers are now seeking large taxis.
According to industry insiders, “Due to the increase in taxi fares, many customers are utilizing large taxis,” but they also clarified that “there are no plans to increase fares for large taxis in the mobility sector.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr