An office worker surnamed Lee, 54, living in Seoul, said on the 10th, "I have been calling a taxi for my commute this week," adding, "With the scorching heat continuing, I don’t have the courage to take the overcrowded subway or bus."
Mr. Kim, 30, who got out of a taxi at Gyodae Station in Seocho District, said, "Transferring on the subway itself is exhausting, and it's not very cool inside the subway, so I opted for a taxi instead."
A private taxi driver surnamed Park, 63, whom I met nearby, also noted, "It seems that everyone is calling taxis because it's hot," adding, "Since the basic fare for taxis rose to 4,800 won in September 2022, it's been a long time since so many customers have flocked in." He also said, "It feels like the number of calls has increased by 30%."
In fact, it has been reported that taxi calls are significantly increasing due to the ongoing scorching heat. According to IM, the number of calls in the Seoul area during the morning rush hour on the 9th (8 a.m. to 10 a.m.) increased by 22% compared to a week earlier on the 2nd. The number of calls during the evening rush hour on the 9th (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) was 62% higher than on the 2nd. The highest temperature in Seoul was 30 degrees on the 2nd but reached 36 degrees on the 9th.
The number of taxi calls during the strong sunlight hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) also increased significantly. Compared to the 7th, when the feel-like temperature was 35 degrees, calls on the 8th, when the feel-like temperature was 37 degrees, increased by 62%.