In a bid to check the spread of unauthorized taxis in regional areas of North Korea, the government has ordered for stricter nationwide enforcement of regulations for the growing number of vehicles on the country’s roads.
“Taxis are increasingly commonplace even in provincial cities, but a lot of them don’t have the proper registration. The authorities are really cracking down on this practice,” a source in North Hamgyong Province recently told Daily NK.
North Korea’s taxis must be registered under the Taedonggang Transportation Company, which from 2014 expanded its existing fleet and services beyond Pyongyang. This process also saw relaxed regulations that permit private investors to manage their own vehicles–most of which are imported– and drivers.
Official taxis are typically green, blue, or brown, but upon registering vehicles with the taxi office, people often fail to repaint the vehicles in line with regulations and thus they cannot be distinguished from unauthorized vehicles.
However, the deregulation has seen many of the offshoot offices operating outside of the law, failing to register taxis for the proper licenses and evading related fees to pocket more of the profits. More than just the loss of revenue for the state, security concerns are also a consideration as more vehicles ply the roads, generating bribes to move people to and from the border and “damaging social order.”
“So to crack down on unauthorized taxis, the authorities have ordered applicants to paint the vehicles according to regulations as soon as they receive the license. But a lot of times out in the provincial areas, the auto shops don’t have the proper paint or equipment to do the job properly, which drivers want to avoid as it depreciates the value of the car,” said a source in South Pyongan Province.
“Most of the individual cars people register as taxis are black, so black taxis are a violation. Only cadres can drive black cars.”
Meanwhile, a source in North Pyongan Province added that North Koreans are increasingly demonstrating a preference for taxi vans over traditional car travel.
“There are around 100 taxis in Pyongsong but 80% are multi-passenger vans as most passengers want to transport goods to surrounding cities like Pyongyang, Sunchon, and Kaechon,” she said.
