South Korea unwelcoming to ride-sharing services

A joint study directed by the Korea Startup Forum and Research & Research has illuminated the fact that fewer than 20 per cent of South Koreans have used a ride-sharing service.

After questioning a sample of 1,000 adults who had used a taxi in the last year in Seoul and it’s nearby area, it was found that only 38.8 per cent were even aware of ride-sharing services. For the users of South Korea, uneasiness being with strangers and the worry of car accidents are the big challenges against the modern alternative to current public transportations. Nearly 40 per cent stated taxis were safer.

However, out of the 467 adults who had experienced the new transport scheme, 58 per cent were satisfied, with cheaper costs compared to other modes of transport being the biggest strength of ride-sharing in South Korea.

“Currently, ride-sharing services account for only one per cent of taxi rides,” said Choi Seong-jin, Member of the Korea Startup Forum. “Though competition is limited at the moment, it’s not too late to popularise the idea while improving public transport at the same time.”

There is still hope for ride-sharing services in South Korea as many consumers believed it would be able to co-exist with taxis. When the services’ processes and systems were explained to the public members, over 70 per cent said they could participate in carpooling as a driver and agreed the service should be enabled.

With correct safety information supplied to members of the public, ride-sharing services still have a chance to spread over South Korea. Hopefully the modern mode of public transport is accepted, providing a solution to cleaner air, less congestion and more enjoyable journeys.

“The lingering safety concerns surrounding ride-sharing services can become obstacles in the future,” said Lee Dong-yeol, Team Leader at Research & Research. “Once the service becomes more common, we’ll see less concern over safety.”