The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is raising taxi operation subsidies and expanding late-night bus services to out-of-town areas in order to ease late-night transportation bottlenecks at Jeju International Airport.

The provincial government announced that starting from the 15th through November 14 for a period of one month, the subsidy paid to taxis operating at Jeju Airport between 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM the following day will be increased from 2,200 won to 3,700 won per trip.

This measure is designed to reduce the inconvenience passengers face due to a shortage of taxis visiting Jeju Airport during late-night hours.

Since 2016, the province has provided a subsidy of 2,200 won per trip for taxis transporting passengers from Jeju Airport during late-night hours. However, taxi supply remains insufficient due to the aging workforce among transport workers and reluctance to work night shifts.

In fact, out of 5,241 taxi drivers in the province, 2,036 are aged 65 or older, accounting for 38.8%, and the taxi operation rate after 9:00 PM stands at a mere 43%.

Through this subsidy hike, the province plans to encourage taxis operating or waiting in downtown areas to move toward the airport, thereby increasing the supply of late-night taxis.

In particular, late-night transportation capacity will be reinforced in preparation for an increase in airport users during the 107th National Sports Festival, which will be held in Jeju from the 16th to the 22nd.

The province is also reviewing plans to scale up late-night taxi support starting next year, and plans to install guidance signs at the airport taxi stand within this month.

Late-night buses traveling from Jeju Airport to out-of-town areas will also be increased.

The province plans to additionally operate three express bus routes during November heading toward Dongilju-ro (Jochon, Gujwa, Seongsan), Seoilju-ro (Aewol, Hallim, Hangyeong), and Beonyeong-ro (Pyoseon, Namwon).

These buses are scheduled to depart from Jeju Airport at around 10:40 PM.

Currently, late-night buses within Jeju City passing through Jeju Airport operate 26 times a day from 10:00 PM to 12:25 AM the following day.

On the other hand, while express buses to out-of-town areas currently operate late-night services toward Seogwipo City and Moseulpo, transport options remain scarce for areas such as Seongsan, Hangyeong, and Namwon.

The province is also pushing for a plan to urgently deploy chartered buses if late-night arrivals crowd in all at once due to delayed flights.

Previously, chartered buses were deployed only when a large number of stranded passengers occurred at the airport due to worsening weather conditions, but moving forward, the province plans to respond to sudden spikes in transportation demand as well.

Kang Min-chul, Director General of the Transportation and Aviation Bureau at Jeju Province, stated, "We have prepared improvement measures utilizing late-night taxis and buses to resolve transportation inconveniences for passengers staying overnight at Jeju International Airport," adding, "We will continuously improve airport transportation convenience so that people can travel without inconvenience using taxis and buses even late at night."

(Photo: Yonhap News)