Taxi usage among Seoul citizens at the end of last year increased by more than 20% compared to a year ago.
According to the Seoul city government on the 6th, the average daily usage of taxis in Seoul in December last year was 751,846 rides, an increase of 21.5% from the previous year. The average travel time also increased by 0.5% to 18.9 minutes. However, the average travel distance decreased by 2.1% to 8.88 kilometers.
By time of day, usage was highest between midnight and 1 a.m. at 7.0%. This was followed by 5.4% between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., and 5.3% between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Taxi usage sharply declined after the basic fare was raised from 3,800 won to 4,800 won on Feb. 1, 2023, but it has been recovering since last year. Immediately after the fare increase, the average daily taxi usage was only 564,226 rides, and it continued to decrease until December that year.
However, since last year, the number of taxi rides began to increase by 15.1% in March compared to the previous year, and this upward trend continued until December.
As of December last year, the district with the highest number of taxi users was Gangnam District (12.2%). The most common drop-off location outside Seoul was 'Other' at 12.5%. Following that were Gangnam District (11.2%) and Songpa District (5.8%).
When average daily taxi usage is divided into weekdays and weekends, there was little difference, with weekdays at 754,126 rides and weekends at 746,275 rides.
This year, the number of taxi users continues to show a significant upward trend. In January, the average daily usage was 681,107 rides, an increase of 13.5%, and in February, it was 729,042 rides, an increase of 58.4%. The Seoul city government noted that February this year did not include a holiday, unlike a year ago with the Lunar New Year holiday.
A Seoul city official noted, 'The increase in the basic taxi fare led to a decrease in demand for about a year, but there is a trend of recovery now.'