issue-briefing
The Taxi Hailing App Era: Why the Elderly Face Longer Waits
The fact that the convenience of mobility platforms does not operate equally for all citizens is emerging as a problem of taxi accessibility for the elderly and a new mobility divide.
The fact that the convenience of mobility platforms does not operate equally for all citizens is emerging as a problem of taxi accessibility for the elderly and a new mobility divide.
How Apps Changed the Taxi Ecosystem, Leaving the Elderly Behind Calling a taxi via a smartphone app has already become a part of everyday life in South Korea's cities. According to the "2024 Citizens' Satisfaction Survey on Taxi Use" conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the proportion of people using smartphone apps to hail taxis in Seoul reached approximately 80%. As major hailing platforms, led by KakaoT, effectively dominate the dispatch structure of the taxi market, traditional methods of hailing empty taxis by raising a hand on the street are gradually being pushed to the periphery of the market, experts note. The problem is that this transition does not operate as an equal opportunity for all citizens. Pointing out that the elderly, who are unfamiliar with digital devices, find it increasingly difficult to catch a taxi even when standing on the same road at the same time…