Taxi Driving Qualification Revoked for Child and Youth Sex Offenders... Constitutional Court "Constitutional"

[Financial News] The provision of the Passenger Transport Business Act, which cancels taxi driving qualifications for those who commit sex crimes against children and adolescents, is not unconstitutional according to the Constitutional Court's ruling.
The Constitutional Court ruled on the 29th that the provision of the Passenger Transport Act Article 87, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3, which cancels taxi driving qualifications for those sentenced to suspended imprisonment for committing sexual assault against children and adolescents, is constitutional with a unanimous opinion of 7 judges.
The petitioner, Mr. A, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year suspension for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Adolescents (indecent act by deception, etc.) in February last year, and the sentence was confirmed.
Upon learning of this crime, the city of Busan canceled Mr. A's taxi driving qualification in May of the same year. The Passenger Transport Act stipulates that if one is sentenced to suspended imprisonment for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Adolescents, they cannot acquire taxi driving qualifications during the suspension period. If qualifications are already acquired, they must be canceled.
Mr. A, who objected to the disposition, filed a cancellation lawsuit and also requested a constitutional review, claiming the provision was unconstitutional.
The Constitutional Court stated, "The provision aims to protect the public using taxis from sex crimes and to alleviate anxiety about using passenger transport services, and to ensure public safety in road traffic, which is a legitimate legislative purpose," and "It is deemed appropriate to cancel the driving qualifications of taxi operators who have committed sexual assault against children and adolescents."
Furthermore, "In the case of the taxi transport business, the frequency of contact between the driver and passengers is high, the space is small, and the contact density is high due to the small number of passengers," and "Considering that destinations and arrival times are varied and operations occur even at night, the probability of passengers being exposed to danger is significantly higher compared to other public transportation, so relatively strong regulation of taxi driving qualifications is necessary," it added.
It continued, "Even if taxi driving qualifications are canceled, they can be reacquired after the suspension period, so the disadvantage to taxi operators is limited," and "The public interest in protecting the public from crime and alleviating anxiety about using passenger transport services, and ensuring public safety in road traffic is very important."

jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter