Seoul's "Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi," a service that lets riders hail a cab with a single phone call for elderly residents who struggle with ride-hailing apps, will now be accessible through the 120 Dasan Call Center. "Our Neighborhood Vitality Charging Stations," where seniors can enjoy leisure, cultural, and sports programs near their homes and interact with neighbors, will be expanded to 120 locations by 2030.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the plans Friday during a visit to the Seodaemun Senior Welfare Center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The core of the plan is to expand hub spaces and broaden programs so that seniors can enjoy healthy leisure within their living areas and escape loneliness and social isolation. It is part of the "Senior Vitality Charging Project," a pledge made during the June 3 local elections.
The Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi is a service that allows elderly people and others who have difficulty hailing a taxi by smartphone to call a cab with a single phone call. There is no separate membership registration process, and the call is free of charge. Anyone who makes a call is connected in real time by an agent to an empty taxi nearby.
Since its launch in July last year, the service has surpassed 44,000 cumulative uses. Monthly usage has also grown sharply, from 909 in its first month to 6,820 in May this year. The number of taxi drivers registered with Onda Call Taxi reaches approximately 38,000.
The calling method will become simpler going forward. Citizens wishing to ride can call the 120 Dasan Call Center and be connected directly to the Donghaeng Onda Call Taxi to use the service. Users only need to state their departure point and destination without complicated procedures, and once a vehicle is assigned, the car's location and driver information are sent via text message or KakaoTalk notification. The service is available from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Mayor Oh personally demonstrated the taxi call that day together with Jung Jae-soon, who was visiting the welfare center. After he made a call and gave the departure point and destination, a text message arrived in about one minute stating that a taxi located a three-minute drive away had been assigned. "It's not easy for older people to hail a taxi by cellphone, so I'm glad such a good system has been created," Jung said.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will expand various activity facilities in areas such as sports, culture, self-development, and community to support seniors' vibrant later years. First, it will expand "Our Neighborhood Vitality Charging Stations," which can be easily found and used near homes, to 120 locations by 2030. Based on Seoul's 425 administrative districts (dong), the plan envisions placing about one per four districts, keeping them within reasonable walking distance. "Vitality Charging Centers," large-scale complex leisure facilities exceeding 10,000 square meters, will also be increased to eight by 2035. A relationship-recovery program to reduce seniors' social isolation is scheduled to be developed within the year and introduced as a standard program at senior welfare centers.
"We are always thinking about how seniors can spend healthier and more vibrant later years, maintain relationships with those around them, and live happily," Mayor Oh said. "The Seoul Metropolitan Government will do its best so that even isolated seniors or those who stay at home can visit welfare centers and vitality charging stations, mingle with neighbors, and regain vitality in their daily lives."
