Uber Ties Up With Cab Drivers in Seoul

People in Seoul will be able to use Uber Technologies Inc.’s namesake app to call registered cabs, the California-based company said.

The company has signed up an undisclosed number of Seoul taxi drivers, who won’t pay commission but receive a subsidy worth 2,000 won ($1.9) per ride booked through Uber, a Seoul-based spokeswoman said.

The launch of the new service, called UberTAXI, comes as the company remains at odds with South Korean authorities, including the transport ministry and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. They call Uber’s services illegal under local law. Uber has said all of its services comply with regulations.

The ministry in late August ordered the city to crack down on Uber's UberX service, which connects everyday drivers with riders. The Seoul city government said in July that it would also seek a ban on Uber's premium service for limousine rides, UberBLACK.

The city has gone further to plan its own taxi-hailing app for registered cabs—with features similar to UberTAXI such as ratings for drivers and real-time GPS tracking. Uber’s Asia head called the city’s effort “wasteful” use of tax money in an interview in August.

Uber says that regular taxi drivers in Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong have improved their business by 30% to 40% by using its app.

The Uber spokeswoman said that the new service was launched without prior consultation with the Seoul city, which regulates the taxi industry. A city official in charge of taxi regulation said she couldn’t immediately provide a comment but confirmed the city wasn’t consulted.

Seoul’s cab drivers can either work as a licensed freelancer with their own vehicles or drive for taxi companies. The Uber spokeswoman said drivers using UberTAXI are from the former group but Uber aims to expand to the latter.

Article Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2014/10/23/uber-ties-up-with-cab-drivers-in-seoul/

Image Source: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/news/uberprivatedriver.jpg

VOCABULARY WORDS:

1. Sign up (pharasal verb) ~ to agree to participate by signing one’s name

2. Undisclosed (adj.) ~ not made known or revealed

3. At odds (adj.) ~ in disagreement

4. Comply (adj.) to act in accordance of

5. Seek (v.) ~ to try to locate

6. Hail (v.) to call out or yell in order to get the ateention of

7. GPS tracking (n.) ~ a unit or device that is used to get the precise location of a person, thing, etc. using the Global Positioning System

8. Freelancer (n.) ~ a person who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1. Have you ever heard of Uber? What do you think of it?

2. What do you think are the advantages of using an app in hailing a taxi or car service?

3. Do you think it’s safe to share a cab or a car with a complete stranger?

4. Do you think that the City of Seoul and other cities in Korea should legalize all of the Uber services? Why?