[Reporter’s Notebook] Expansion of the truck safety freight rate system is urgent

With only a double left to complete the 33rd hit for the cycle in KBO League history, Samsung Lions batter Park Seung-kyu sprinted past second base and headed straight for third when the center fielder misplayed the ball. It was a run that put the team’s victory ahead of his personal milestone in the bottom of the eighth in a tie game. After the game, he said, "I had no intention of stopping. All I thought about was, 'What can I do to help the team?'" This sense of urgency mirrors what transport operators, whose livelihoods are threatened by high fuel prices, want to see from the Government of the Republic of Korea and the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
As of the afternoon of the 16th, the average diesel price in Seoul had surpassed 2,014 won per liter. That is more than 350 won higher than in February, just before the Middle East war broke out. Truck and large bus drivers at gas stations said their monthly fuel bills have shot up well beyond 1 million won, lamenting that they are "on the verge of having to turn off the engine for good."
Fortunately, the Government of the Republic of Korea and the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea have begun to respond. They have raised the support rate of the diesel fuel price-linked subsidy system for trucks from 50% to 70% of the portion of the diesel price exceeding 1,700 won per liter, and they are also pushing to ease the current cap of about 180 won per liter. Through a supplementary budget, charter buses, which had previously been excluded from the diesel fuel price-linked subsidy system, will receive 400,000 won per month for three months.
This is a meaningful step forward, but a response that goes one base further is needed. The current measures are structured to expire after a short period. In contrast, the shock from high oil prices is likely to be prolonged, as the destruction of key energy facilities in the Middle East could take considerable time to repair. Historically, high oil prices have been a recurring, almost constant crisis. A temporary extension of subsidy payments cannot secure the industry’s uncertain future. The diesel fuel price-linked subsidy system should be made permanent so that transport operators are not forced to let go of the steering wheel every time fuel prices surge.
The ruling party and the Government of the Republic of Korea must also listen to complaints that the charter bus subsidies are not reaching the field. Many charter buses are run under an owner-operator model, where individual drivers bear the fuel costs while the subsidies are paid to the company. It is urgent to amend the relevant laws and introduce a system that directly supports owner-operator truck drivers.
The fundamental solution is to expand the truck safety freight rate system. This system guarantees appropriate freight rates by reflecting transport costs such as fuel, but it currently applies to only about 6% of cargo items, including import-export containers and cement. The government has commissioned a research project to review expanding the scope, but it is expected to take about a year before any conclusions are reached. What people on the ground are asking from the government is a swift, decisive move straight to third base without looking back.
psh@fnnews.com Reporter