Jeju Voucher Taxi 'Refrain from Use' Controversy: Notice Withdrawn, Apology Issued After Disability Groups Object

【Financial News, Jeju = Jeong Yong-bok, reporter】 The Jeju Center for Mobility Support for the Transportation-Vulnerable asked users to refrain from using voucher taxis over concerns that its budget would be depleted, but withdrew the notice after disability groups objected. Jeju Province acknowledged its responsibility for management and oversight and said it would secure the funding needed to operate the service through the end of the year.
According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 13th, the Jeju Center for Mobility Support for the Transportation-Vulnerable posted a notice on its website asking users to refrain from using voucher taxis after this year's budget for the service was depleted faster than expected.
The center asked users to prioritize necessary trips through the end of the year, including hospital visits for medical care or treatment, travel to and from school, and commuting to and from work, and to refrain from trips whose timing could be adjusted.
Voucher taxis are a transportation welfare service that enables people with mobility difficulties who have trouble using public transportation to travel by taxi. They are used not only for hospital visits but also for travel related to cultural and leisure activities and social participation.
The center's notice sparked controversy because it asked users to prioritize trips according to their purpose. Concerns were raised that people with mobility difficulties could be restricted from going out and participating in social activities because of budget constraints.
Disability groups in the province, including the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Federation of Disabled Persons, issued a statement on the 12th demanding formal apologies from Jeju Province and the center, withdrawal of restrictions on use that were not based on objective criteria, and a stable increase in the budget.
The disability groups' concerns are also connected to the scope of the right to mobility. The Act on the Promotion of the Transportation Convenience of Mobility Disadvantaged Persons stipulates the right of people with disabilities and others with mobility difficulties to travel safely and conveniently without discrimination. The right to mobility is a fundamental right that supports not only medical care, education, and work but also daily life and social participation.
Jeju Province also acknowledged that travel for cultural and leisure activities and social activities is necessary in the daily lives of people with mobility difficulties. It said the notice could have been perceived as restricting users' mobility and acknowledged its responsibility as the oversight authority.
In particular, Jeju Province acknowledged as a problem that it had failed to review in advance and respond to the center's budget execution and user demand, even though the center is operated under a private-sector outsourcing arrangement.
The center withdrew the notice asking users to refrain from using the service on the 12th and posted an apology issued in the director's name on its website on the 13th.
Jeju Province plans to review the circumstances surrounding the center's notice, its budget execution, and user demand, and to take the necessary measures to ensure the service is provided reliably through the end of the year. It also said it would strengthen advance consultation and reporting procedures for key operational matters that affect users, and continuously monitor budget execution and service operations.
Kang Min-cheol, head of Jeju Province's Transportation and Aviation Bureau, said, “I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern this notice has caused people with mobility difficulties and their families,” and added, “We will fulfill our responsibilities as the supervisory authority.”
[email protected] Jeong Yong-bok Reporter