According to Channel PNU coverage on August 5th, four out of five shared electric kickboard companies operating within PNU Busan campus were able to rent kickboards without certifying their licenses. Except for one company that does not rent kickboards without license certification, they have only notified the obligation to approve their licenses.

Even if there is a license certification process, anyone can ride a kickboard without certifying the license by pressing "skip" to enter payment methods on the application installation and member registration. Two companies did not have license certification processes at all.

On May 13th of last year, the Road Traffic Act was revised to allow only those with a motor license or higher to operate a personal mobile device. In addition, penalties or fines will be imposed on unlicensed driving, not wearing protective equipment, boarding more than two people, overworked driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, even after a year since the law was strengthened, the problem has not improved.

According to the National Police Agency, on July 26, the number of traffic accident deaths while using personal mobile devices in the first half of 2022 increased 83.3%, from 6 in 2021 to 11 in 2022. In addition, the number of unlicensed violations surged from 342 in January to 2,306 in June.

There is no way to sanction shared electric kickboard companies even in this situation. Under the current law, license certification is not a company's obligation. According to Article 43 of the Road Traffic Act (Prohibition of Unlicensed Driving), the obligation to prohibit personal mobile device’s unlicensed driving, such as electric wheels and kickboards, is imposed only on the users. An official from a company operating in PNU also said, "We do not impose any restrictions on use, and we are guiding users to take full responsibility in the cases of violating the laws."

The students expressed anxiety about the company's poor licensing system. An anonymous student (Dept. of Political Diplomacy, 21) said, "Running a kickboard without a license is like a bomb rolling around the campus." Lim Dong-Jun (Dept. of German Literature, 21) said, "My acquaintance recently had an accident while using a kickboard, so I realize the risk of safety accidents without a license. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the level of punishment."

The PNU Headquarters is working on countermeasures against these problems. Jeong Yoon-Yong (Official, Office of General Administration) said, "We will hold a group meeting with companies operating in the Busan campus as soon as possible. The meeting will require mandatory license certifications and restrict designated parking areas on the campus. Penalties will be given to companies if not implemented."

 Reporter Jo Seung-Wan

Translated by Shin Ji-Won