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| Taxis are at a taxi stop in Seoul, Jan. 30. Yonhap |
The basic taxi fare in Seoul will rise by 1,000 won ($0.8) to 4,800 won starting next month, the city government said Monday.
The Seoul Metropolitan government's plan to raise the base rate for mid-sized sedan cabs operating in the capital will go into effect on Feb. 1, it said.
Under the plan, the initial minimum distance for which the base taxi fare is applied will also be shortened to 1.6 kilometers from the current 2 km.
After the base fare is charged, 100 won will be additionally charged for every 131 meters of distance, up from the current 132 meters, the city also said.
The city government's decision came amid growing complaints about a shortage of cabs in the city, sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of efforts to increase nighttime taxi services, the city also allowed taxi drivers last month to charge a nighttime surcharge from 10 p.m. instead of midnight.
Under the revised taxi fare plan, a 10-km nighttime taxi ride from Jonggak Subway Station in central Seoul to Gangnam Subway Station in southern Seoul will cost 17,700 won, up 29.2 percent from before the extended surcharge was introduced.
The base fares for premium taxis will also be raised by 500 won to 7,000 won from February, the city also said. (Yonhap)
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