200,000 S. Korean cab drivers stage rare strike

SOUTH KOREA: More than 200,000 South Korean taxi drivers staged a rare day-long strike on Wednesday for higher fares and cheaper fuel, prompting authorities to run extra bus and subway services.

About 220,000 of the country’s 255,500 licensed cabbies joined the stoppage, the transport ministry said, adding there would be extra buses in the capital Seoul and the second city Busan, and more trains on the Seoul subway.

“We don’t expect any major transportation crisis since taxis are not a major part of people’s daily commute,” a ministry spokesman told AFP.

“But we are still keeping a close eye on the situation.”

There was no major turmoil during morning commuting hours due to the increased bus and subway services and the absence of taxis actually eased gridlock on the roads, Yonhap news agency reported.

AFP