The ministry estimated that, seven to eight years later, all taxis will have both driver’s as well as front-seat passenger’s air bags. (image: Kobizmedia/Koreabizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Korea Bizwire) - From August 8, both the driver’s and the front-seat passenger’s air bags must be deployed in all newly registered taxis. If they are not, taxi drivers will be suspended of their business for up to 90 days.
On August 7, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that taxis must have both driver-side as well as passenger-side air bags in accordance with a follow-up action of the Act of passenger vehicle business which was passed in August last year.
The measure will make about 3,400 new registered taxis install air bags in the driver’s and front passenger’s seats. The ministry estimated that, seven to eight years later, all taxis will have both driver’s as well as front-seat passenger’s air bags.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that taxis must have both driver-side as well as passenger-side air bags. (image: ntr23/flickr)
In case of taxis, the deployment rate of air bags in the driver’s seat and the front-passenger’s seat is 53.5 percent and 8.9 percent respectively, which is much lower compared with that of privately owned cars. It has been pointed out that this situation puts taxi drivers and passengers much more in danger.
“In order to prevent secondary damage caused by indoor attachments, we have already made and distributed a safety manual for air-bag deployed taxis,” the transport ministry said. “We hope this measure could reduce injuries and casualties caused by taxi accidents,” it added.
By Veronica Huh (veronicah@kobizmedia.co.kr)
