제 3 호 What is a Carpool?
Kicker: SOCIETY(CARPOOL)
What is a Carpool?
The Change to Our Lives by the Sharing Economy
By Su-jeong Sim, Reporter
Taxis are convenient to use when you move in everyday life.
Do you usually use taxis a lot?
Then, what do you think about ride-sharing?
Do you know about carpools?
Conflicts between carpools and the taxi industry are becoming an issue. This article will cover carpools, taxis and the sharing economy.
▶Definition of a Carpool
A carpool is to share a ride in vehicles when travelling in the same or similar directions to a destination. In Korea, carpools are allowed on a limited basis between 7 a.m. ~ 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ~ 8 p.m. during commuting time. It is prohibited to operate on weekends and holidays.
Carpools have advantages such as saving fares and an alternative to taxi drivers refusal to take a passenger. Also carpools have disadvantages such as safety problems for passengers and violating taxi drivers’ right to survive.
Carpool is classified as a kind of sharing economy by connecting the vehicle and the driver to the passenger.
▲Share a ride in vehicles when travelling in the same or similar directions to a destination
▶Sharing Economy: Taxis vs Carpools
Sharing economy refers to an economy based on cooperative consumption, in which once-produced products are shared by several people.
Carpool is a ride-sharing service. Carpool services have begun to emerge by utilizing the exception of Article 81(Article 81: Prohibits paid transportation of one’s own car) of the Passenger Automobile Transport Business Act, "Allow one’s own car paid-in transportation act for commuting purposes only." Under the exception, the carpool app was allowed, but it has been at odds with the taxi industry because the commuting time is not specified accurately.
The taxi drivers are against carpools. It is because of the taxi drivers’ right to survive. "Although carpools limit services, if a carpool is cheaper, citizens would naturally use carpool services, which would eventually lead to the expansion of carpool services," taxi drivers said. Rallies against carpools have been held and in one case, a taxi driver died while protesting against carpools.
Consequently, it was clearly amended to allow only limited time between 7 a.m. ~ 9 p.m. and between 6 p.m. ~ 8 p.m.
▶Opinion of Sangmyung University Students about Carpools
I conducted the survey because I want to hear the opinions of students at Sangmyung University about carpools.
According to an analysis of 30 people who participated in the survey, it shows that 21 people were in agreement with carpools and 9 people disagreed.
70% of people agreed.
Reason for Favoring Carpools
Affordable fares were the biggest part of the opinion in favor of carpools.
-Other opinions
✔Solving the problem of taxi driver refusal to take a passenger
✔Preventing taxi drivers from deliberately extending the time to get more charges
✔Revitalizing the sharing economy
Reason for Opposing Carpools
Opposition to carpools was mostly accounted about the issue of taxi driver survival and passenger safety. It would be disturbing if it weren't for the same gender passenger/driver. Criminal news of taxi drivers whose identities have been proven is also sometimes talked about. The carpool, which is not guaranteed to be safe for both drivers and passengers, cannot be guaranteed to be safe.
Opinions about Carpool Commuting Time
Many students' say that the idea of allowing carpools during commuting time is generally good.
✔I think it's good if only allowed during commuting time.
✔Commuting time carpool is good because commuting time is very complicated.
✔There are often no taxis during commuting time, so it would be nice to allow carpools only at that time.
There is also opposition to allowing commuting time carpools, albeit slightly.
✔Taxis and carpools will become more crowded together and cause traffic congestion.
Additional Opinions about Carpools
✔In the case of taxi drivers, there is identification information in front of the seats, and it would be better to apply the same information to the carpool bill or enforcement ordinance to ensure safety.
✔I hope it is possible to be only with the same gender when using a carpool
✔I think it would be better to run the carpool at a time when public transportation is not running
✔I don't know why carpools should be illegal in the first place
✔Carpools should be allowed not only during commuting time, but in all hours
Looking at the changes to our lives by the sharing economy, the sharing economy can bring about convenient lives, but it can also bring side effects like dispute between carpools and taxis. We need to implement a sharing economy that can prevent side effects.
Sources:
https://m.terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=5765034&cid=43667&categoryId=43667
https://m.terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=938206&cid=43667&categoryId=43667
https://m.terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=5706845&cid=43667&categoryId=43667
https:m.blog.naver.comccrs2009/221421260721
