An article in Yonhap (sourced by Xinhua) offers some interesting data on taxis in Pyongyang. Here are some select quotes:
But in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), a strict odd-even ban has been imposed on most taxis since April.
The rule is simple: taxis with an odd end number on license plates are allowed to travel on odd-numbered days only and those with an even end number are able to drive on even-numbered days.
The reason for introducing the license plate restriction for taxis remains unknown.
…
The odd-even rationing policy, however, is not applicable for all cabs, taxi drivers told Xinhua.
About 150 taxis operated by Air Koryo, the national flag carrier and the country’s only airline, are not subject to this regulation.
“We are the only taxi firm not asked to follow the ban,” said a cab driver under Air Koryo who gave his surname as Kim. “This is thanks to the special care given by our respectable marshal.”
And how may taxis are there?
Official figures showed more than 1,500 taxis had been running in the capital city by the end of 2013.
Who makes the taxis?
Now a vast majority of the taxi cabs are BYD (a Chinese automaker) automobiles with the name of taxi firms printed on both sides of the cars. Atop the car body is fixed a board that reads “TAXI” in both Korean and English.
What are the rates?
Jumping into the cab and traveling within two km costs two U.S. dollars. For each kilometer you travel beyond that distance, 0.56 dollars get added to the fare. U.S. dollars, euros, renminbi and even DPRK wons are all accepted.
Taximeters are not fitted in most cars; even there is a taximeter on the front, the driver tends not to activate the machine unless you insist. It seems customary to negotiate with the driver about the fare, and also there are certain fares for several fixed routes.
With an extra fee of two or three dollars, you can book a taxi cab in advance by dialing drivers’ personal phone numbers. But foreign visitors have no access to the service at the moment because SIM cards sold to foreigners can not connect to natives’ mobile phones.
Read the full story here:
Feature: Pyongyang imposes odd-even ban on most taxis
Yonhap
2014-12-4
