Gyeonggi special taxis face long waits; study suggests shifting non-wheelchair users to voucher taxis

A study by the Gyeonggi Research Institute proposes a solution to the chronic waiting times for special transportation services for the disabled in Gyeonggi Province: reallocating non-wheelchair users to "voucher taxis." The institute's report, "Improving Gyeonggi Province's Mobility Support Service for the Transportation Vulnerable," analyzed over 1.75 million operational data points for special transport and 670,000 data points for disabled persons' transport cards.

Currently, Gyeonggi Province operates 1,244 special transport vehicles, exceeding the legal requirement of 1,037. Despite this sufficient supply, users experience an average wait time of 44.6 minutes, causing significant inconvenience. The core issue, according to the research, is the "demand overlap" – individuals who do not require wheelchair-accessible vehicles are utilizing the special transport, thereby increasing wait times for those with severe mobility impairments who depend on these specialized vehicles.

Analysis of projected 2025 usage data revealed that a substantial 38% of the 1.75 million special transport trips, totaling 666,255 instances, did not involve wheelchair use. This includes visually impaired individuals or patients requiring dialysis who could otherwise use regular taxis. The use of specialized vehicles by these passengers significantly reduces the efficiency of vehicle rotation.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute suggests transitioning these non-wheelchair users to voucher taxis as an alternative. This shift is estimated to cost approximately 7 billion won annually. The institute argues this is the optimal solution for reducing wait times significantly within the existing budget, addressing both mobility gaps and inefficiencies. Senior researcher Bin Mi-young emphasized that improving mobility access, not just subsidizing fares, is crucial for enhancing the quality of life for disabled individuals, as increased outing and travel frequency correlates with higher life satisfaction.

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The empirical analysis showed that the more frequently disabled individuals go out and travel, the statistically significant improvement in their life satisfaction. Therefore, the policy should focus on expanding the 'opportunity to move' itself, enabling disabled individuals to travel conveniently whenever they want, beyond simply subsidizing transportation costs.