by REERA YOO | @reeraboo
editor@charactermedia.com
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to install protective screens in 35 taxis driven by female drivers to prevent assaults from passengers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“We’re doing it on a test basis for now, but if the measure is favorably accepted by the female taxi drivers and passengers, we’ll make it mandatory for all taxis in the city,” said Lee Seung-wook, a city government official.
The protective screens for the taxis are made of clear, polycarbonate that can withstand hammer blows. Each screen costs between 250,000-290,000 won (USD $222-$261), and the government will cover half the cost.
Back in September, about a third of the 462 female cabbies said in a survey that a partition was necessary for protection. Some drivers expressed their fear of working late at night when many passengers are drunk and belligerent. Last month, a Jeonju taxi driver was hit in the face with a soju bottle when he tried to give change to the drunk customer, according to the Korea Bizwire.
Under South Korea’s transportation laws, threatening or assaulting a professional driver could result in a five-year prison sentence or a fine of 20 million won (USD $18,000). However, most offenders are only fined about one million won.
Seoul now has one of the highest crime rates in South Korea, according to WSJ. About 38,408 violent crimes occurred in the trendy Gangnam district last year, making it the country’s third-most dangerous region.
The city government decided to test the protective screens on female cabbies first because they are particularly vulnerable to in-vehicle assaults.
