▲ Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon helps a senior citizen call a taxi using the Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi service at the Seodaemun Senior Welfare Center on July 6.
In Seoul, residents, including the elderly, can now easily book taxis by phone, even if they are not familiar with mobile taxi-hailing applications.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi service can now be accessed by dialing 02-120, the number for the Dasan Call Center, which handles general civil complaints.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the Seodaemun Senior Welfare Center today, July 6, to demonstrate the Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi service and explain the city's policies for the elderly under the 9th elected municipal administration.
The Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi service is designed to assist citizens who are not accustomed to using mobile apps, though it is available to anyone regardless of age.
Out of approximately 70,000 taxis in Seoul, about 38,000 are currently registered with the Onda Taxi service.
When a user calls to provide their current location and destination, a nearby taxi is dispatched without any additional call fees.
The service is available daily from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The city has enabled taxi bookings through the Dasan Call Center at 02-120 starting today, in addition to the existing dedicated call center number, 1855-0120.
The city explained, "We made this improvement to make the service more accessible, as senior citizens may find it difficult to save or remember a separate phone number."
The service was launched on July 7 of last year through a partnership between T-Money Mobility and associations of corporate and individual taxi operators, and it has recorded over 44,000 trips to date.
T-Money Mobility covers approximately 1.5 billion won annually for system construction and operation, including incentives of 1,000 to 2,000 won per taxi call in Seoul.
The company also operates phone-based taxi dispatch services in other cities, including Changwon and Chuncheon.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to promote the Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi service by providing information at locations frequently visited by the elderly, such as welfare centers and hospitals.
After inspecting facilities at the Seodaemun Senior Welfare Center, including activity rooms, exercise rooms, and the cafeteria, Mayor Oh held a meeting with users to listen to their suggestions.
Mayor Oh also explained the Senior Vitality Recharge Project, which the city has been promoting since the start of the 9th elected administration.
This project supports sports, culture, self-development, and community activities, reflecting the rise of the "new elderly" generation who are socially active.
To support this, the city plans to expand the number of neighborhood-based "Vitality Recharge Stations" to 120 by 2030 and build two new large-scale complex leisure facilities called "Vitality Recharge Centers" by 2030, increasing the total to eight by 2035.
The city is also promoting a "Senior Relationship Recovery Program" to strengthen social connections and support mental health improvement to alleviate feelings of isolation among the elderly.
"Creating a Seoul where all senior citizens can enjoy daily happiness and vitality is a key goal of the 9th municipal administration," said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. "We will continue to find solutions in the field, closest to the lives of our citizens, and refine life-oriented policies that encompass mobility, health, leisure, and social relationships."
(Photo: Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yonhap News)
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