Many island tourists used to hire taxis to explore the island, but that mode of sightseeing has fallen out of favor in recent years due to a number of factors. A new plan, though, aims to reverse the trend. Here’s Mike Balfour to explain. Report
INTERVIEW Gang Geun-seong / Taxi driver I used to get 10 to 15 calls every morning from people who wanted to reserve sightseeing service. Now it’s only two or three calls a day. [인터뷰 강근성 / 택시기사 ] "옛날에는 아침부터 예약이 새벽부터 10대 15대 들어왔었는데 지금은 예약이 한,두 대에요."
INTERVIEW Lee Seong-ryong / Taxi driver Most young visitors rent cars or use buses to access the most popular tourist attractions. [인터뷰 이성룡 / 택시기사] "젊은 세대같은 경우에는 대부분 렌트해서 다니고 그렇지 않으면 버스 준공영제하면서 직행노선들이 관광지마다 있으니까"
[slug] Tourists reluctant to use taxis for sightseeing
The number of tourists who hire a sightseeing taxi for their one or two day trip has been decreasing.
The rates are high. Overcharging by some drivers has visitors hesitating to hire a sightseeing taxi.
So the province is planning to introduce a flat-rate taxi service beginning July at the earliest.
It will also develop an online reservation system to encourage visitors to use the sightseeing taxi service.
INTERVIEW Oh Jeong-hoon / Director of provincial transportation and aviation We’ve negotiated with a taxi company and agreed on sightseeing service that costs 140,000 to 160,000 won per day. It’s inexpensive compared with the same service on the mainland, which runs from 200,000 to 300,000 won. [인터뷰 오정훈 / 제주도교통항공국장 ] "이미 업체하고 (협의한 가격은) 1일 14만원에서 16만원 사이로.. 육지부에 비하면 엄청나게 싼겁니다. 육지는 20,30만원 하는데..."
The local taxi industry welcomes the policy.
The industry expects that the transparent reservation and payment system will encourage tourists who consider hiring a rental car to change their mind.
INTERVIEW Jeon Yeong-bae / Director, Jeju Taxi Association The new service will get rid of overcharging and allow visitors to better enjoy the island. [인터뷰 전영배 / 제주도개인택시운송사업조합 이사장 ] "바가지라는 것이 없어져서 투명히 운영돼서 손님들에게 불이익을 안주고 관광하는데 도움도 되고..."
[Reporter] Mike Balfour [Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon
The taxi industry hopes the flat-fee sightseeing taxi service will boost not only the the taxi business but overall tourism as well.
