Pink taxis were often seen on the roads of Cheongju before we knew what they were for. Those taxis, painted outstandingly in pink, are actually ‘women friendly taxis’ that Cheongju introduced for citizens to use more safely after Cheongju was selected as a women-friendly city. People usually call them ‘pink taxis’, as their surface is colored pink. These taxis are being tested and the test operation will continue until December. The real project begins in 2013 after the test operation.
The number of taxis selected as pink taxis is 66 out of 680. An employee in the Department of Traffic Administration said, “We will watch whether pink taxis contribute to the safety of Cheongju citizens, and then we will adjust the number of pink taxis.” He added, “The drivers assigned to pink taxis are kind and exemplary, and they are selected from the corporation taxi drivers. Cheongju citizens will be able to use them more comfortably and pleasantly.” To use pink taxis, we call ‘Citizen Call’ and ask for a pink taxi. Every citizen can use pink taxis regardless of sex or age. The only difference is women can primarily use pink taxis. In addition, GPS, a card payment system, digital taximeters and safe-return service are continually employed, and a QR code service will be newly adopted in December. The QR code lets customers see information of taxi drivers by smartphones.
Lee Sang-hyo(21, male, Sacheon-dong) said, “These days in Cheongju, crimes seem to be frequently occurring, and most of them happen to women. As a brother and a friend to women, I am glad to hear about pink taxis.” He also mentioned a problem, “There could be some criminals who abuse pink taxis as tools for their crimes. If it is considered in advance and prevented, pink taxis could do their job effectively.” Choi Yu-ri(21, female, Bokdae-dong) said, “I have avoided using taxis due to the bad news related to taxis. However, if pink taxis are introduced, I am going to use them without anxiety.” Cheongju expects to ease anxiety and lower the crime rate by the introduction of women-friendly taxis.