Uber is fast becoming the most popular ride-sharing service in most cities all over the world. In Seoul, South Korea, Uber Korea is celebrating its one-year anniversary by launching an expanded ride-sharing service in the Korean capital.
Uber is launching the UberX app and will be available soon in Seoul. All smartphone users can download the app, allowing them to hire registered cars to pick them up. Cars are dispatched via the installed app. It uses text-messaging to communicate with and geo-tracking to locate the passenger. This is different from the taxi-hiring apps available as UberX only offers private cars. Uber also has the high-end Uber Black service, a special service that offers limousines to passengers, available in Seoul.
The Uber ride-sharing service is still in its early stage and the company is offering free test rides.
"We are very excited about bringing ride-sharing to Seoul," Uber's head of Asia Allen Penn said. "UberX has become widely known in modern cities as a poster child for the sharing economy. This fills a need for the city of Seoul, where car ownership is high, and residents lack options for a comfortable ride in the midst of daily traffic congestion."
Ride-sharing is now preferred in major cities around the world as it is more convenient. Such service also contributes to lessen traffic pollution and congestion. Vehicle-sharing is becoming big in Korea where more than half of the population are willing to participate in a sharing economy.
Uber only came to Seoul last year but it has managed to partner with a lot of registered limousine companies to provide the UberBLACK service. Driver partners have been very responsible and cooperative in offering a great Uber ride each time.
However, the South Korean government earlier ruled the ride-sharing and cab-booking service as illegal. Officials are even threatening the service might be banned.
"Operating a chauffeur service with cars other than taxis is clearly illegal and subject to punishment," the transport ministry said in a statement. This means any driver caught offering the service could be fined up to $19,700 (20 million won) or be sentenced to jail for up to two years.
It will be interesting to know how this story will develop. The Korean ministry officials seem to be eager to take the service down.
