Posted on : Feb.6,2007 14:53 KST
Civic groups decry lack of legal protection for customers
In June 2004, a man, identified by the surname Lee, became intoxicated drinking with friends, and called a driver-for-hire to drive his car for him. But while driving Mr. Lee home, the driver hit another car, and during the investigation it was discovered that the driver-for-hire had obtained his license only ten months prior.
In addition, of 15 drivers at the particular company Mr. Lee called, only three were insured drivers.
Driver-for-hire services have become a popular way to get your car home if you feel unable to drive. After calling a dispatcher, a driver arrives, either arriving by company shuttle, taxi, public transport, or on foot. After you and your car have been dropped off at home, the driver moves to his next customer through the same means of transportation mentioned earlier.
A woman, identified by the surname Kim, was ordered to pay a speeding fine in September 2005. But the violation was made when a hired driver was at the wheel. Kim demanded the driver’s company pay the fine, but the company has so far not paid.
Amid a lack of legal protections against drivers-for-hire, complaints are mounting.
On February 5, a civic group, named the Coalition for Transportation Culture, made public 322 complaints over hired drivers between November last year and January this year. Of the complaints, speeding or dangerous driving accounted for 26.7 percent, and accidents involving uninsured drivers comprised 20.8 percent. Other complaints included sexual harassment and robbery.
Cheong Hyeon-geun, an official at the civic group, said, "The most urgent thing is to set up measures to protect consumers from drivers-for-hire."
According to data by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), there are about 6,600 companies that dispatch drivers-for-hire as of March last year, and the number of drivers-for-hire nationwide is believed to total some 83,000. The civic group estimated that only about 37 percent of these drivers have auto insurance.
"If we include smaller companies that aren’t listed in the FSC data, the number of drivers-for-hire without insurance is significantly higher," Cheong said.
"Since 2002, Japan has required drivers-for-hire to have auto insurance," he added.
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