Drunk passenger assults taxi driver during late-night ride

[Anchor]

Recently, a taxi driver in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, was assaulted by a drunken passenger during a ride.

There are ongoing concerns about passengers causing disturbances during taxi or bus operations, threatening safety, and calls for urgent measures are being made.

Seo Yoon-deok reports.

[Report]

In the early morning, a male passenger in the back seat of a taxi suddenly raises his shoe and strikes the driver's head while shouting obscenities.

Despite the driver's attempts to stop him, the assault continues relentlessly.

The driver, who was bitten on the hand while trying to intervene, ultimately calls for help using the emergency phone and heads to the police station.

[Taxi Driver: "I'm being hit. I'm being assaulted. I'm in front of the police station. Right now."]

The assailant, a drunken man in his 60s, has been charged with assaulting the driver.

The driver, who was hit over 20 times on the face and other parts of his body without understanding what was happening, is suffering from severe psychological trauma.

[Assaulted Taxi Driver: "It's my first time. I'm really shocked. What I saw on TV is real. It's fortunate that there was no accident, thanks to the light traffic at that hour."]

Assaults against taxi drivers and other drivers have occurred over 12,000 times nationwide in the past three years, averaging 11 incidents per day.

Although the law allows for a maximum prison sentence of up to 5 years, which is heavier than for general assault, such incidents continue to persist.

[Kim Chan-jong/Taxi Driver: "I hesitate to drive at night. I worry about whether I should pick up people who look rough."]

The installation of protective barriers for taxi drivers is being suggested as a solution, but progress is stalled due to costs and inconvenience.

A bill to mandate the installation of protective barriers, similar to those on city buses, did not pass the National Assembly in the last session.

This is KBS News, Seo Yoon-deok.