Coactus' ride-hailing service, Goyohan Mobility, hires hearing-impaired drivers. Courtesy of Coactus

Goyohan Mobility seeks ride-hailing service platform for both disabled, non-disabled

By Lee Gyu-lee

Korea's ride-hailing market is a tough industry to crack, especially with ardent taxi drivers who are ready to fight any threat to their jobs.

Song Min-pyo, CEO of Coactus / Courtesy of Coactus

However, the social venture, Coactus, strives to diversify the industry with its ride-hailing service, to provide job opportunities for people with hearing impairments and to create a platform that embraces both disabled and non-disabled workers.

The company's service, Goyohan Mobility, which currently has about 110 hearing-impaired drivers, utilizes a proprietary software system to connect drivers and passengers by assisting their communication during the ride. "Goyohan" means "silent" in Korean.

"It might be more difficult to use the service at first because of certain prejudices people might have against disabled people. But once it stirs up positive reactions from customers, more people will take an interest in experiencing it for themselves," Song Min-pyo, the CEO of the company, said in an interview with The Korea Times at the company office in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Feb. 17.

"That might take a lot of time, but I believe that we can open up doors for good opportunities if we continue to carry on."

Song, who majored in computer science, came up with the idea for the service as part of a self-initiated project for his club in college, which aimed to seek ways of solving social issues through business.

"This started as a social project to look for ways to use our technology and skills to resolve problems in society," he said.

The inside of a Goyohan Mobility ride-hailing service car with a tablet which the passengers can use to communicate with the driver / Courtesy of Coactus

While looking through local and overseas cases to select an issue, he came across deaf drivers on U.S.-based mobility platforms like Lyft and Uber.

"The way those drivers communicate with the riders was through notes like, 'I'm deaf. So write down (your requests) and tap on my shoulder.' It was very old-fashioned," Song said. "If we digitalize how drivers communicate with riders and make it easier, (deaf people) will have better chances of employment."

So he and two of his school friends founded the startup in 2018 after developing an IT solution for deaf drivers at existing taxi companies. The tablet, placed on the back of the front passenger seat, allows passengers to speak, write or type their requests, which then will be sent in text form to another tablet that the driver can see.

In 2020, instead of just supplying his technology to existing taxi companies, Song started his own ride-hailing service in a regulatory sandbox, as a test project, buying cars and hiring drivers who get paid in monthly wages.

His company also partnered up with local mobile carrier SK Telecom to install an advanced driver-assistance system specialized for deaf drivers. The system provides visual and vibrating alerts to avoid collisions or other hazards on the road.

"The reason I founded our own mobility service is that I wanted to provide jobs with better conditions and more opportunities (for employment)," Song said.

The advanced driver assistance systems Goyohan Mobility has implemented include vibration alarms for hearing impaired drivers in cases of danger. Courtesy of Coactus

A newly implemented regulation, since the ban of the local van-hailing, platform Tada, allows businesses to run a car-hailing service under certain conditions, such as donating some of its profits or a specified amount of money.

Song noted that aside from being a social venture with a good cause, the company offers quality services that differentiate it from other competing ride-hailing services.

He said that the company has a pretty high percentage of repeat customers, adding that its reservation system and the drivers' accommodating service draw satisfaction from customers. The drivers go through training for the operation and customer service upon their hiring.

"Also, we offer a better riding experience (in terms of vehicles). There are a lot of van services now but they all have a much higher price. But we operate larger cars and have almost the same rate as the regular taxi services," the CEO said. "We use cars that offer a neater and more comfortable driving experience, which appeals to consumers."

Since starting the ride-hailing service, the company has set its vision on creating a service that is provided and used by both the disabled and non-disabled, Song said. And as part of the effort, it is bringing in the TX, a purpose-built taxicab model manufactured by London Electric Vehicle Company.

"Until now, there has been separate transportation for the disabled and non-disabled. A lot of people with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs or who are pregnant, have issues using transportation. And there are limits to what public transportations can solve," he said. "So this will help in making our company become a platform everybody can enjoy."

Coactus CEO Song Min-pyo speaks during Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Courtesy of Coactus

Song noted that this inclusiveness is also a tactical move that will help the company from a business perspective. Rather than going head to head with the dominant player of the market ― taxi-hailing service Kakao Mobility ― Coactus seeks to target the niche market and use it as a foundation to gain a foothold.

"Instead of competing (with Kakao Mobility), we are focused on differentiating ourselves. And that's the direction where we should be heading … because there are clear opportunities for a wider scope of consumers," he said, mentioning the potentially emerging market targeting senior citizens.

"As our country is facing the rapid aging of our society, it's inevitable that the number of people who need accessible transportation will increase. And I believe that if we don't come up with strategies that respond to aging society, then we will be missing out on a huge market."

He added that he hopes to take the lead in expanding that market.

"My plan, for now, is to take an approach not many have tried and continue on with this business that has both potential marketability and social value," Song said.

The company is also seeking to expand overseas with its software. It was invited recently to Expo 2020 Dubai, held in the United Arab Emirates from Oct. 1 of last year to March 31 of this year, to present itself among innovative companies solving global challenges.

"We are seeking opportunities to challenge ourselves and enter international markets," he said.