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

Social venture strives to open doors for deaf drivers

Platform for both disabled, non-disabled

Coactus, a ride-hailing service in South Korea, has teamed up with SK Telecom in the past four years to upgrade its services using technologies such as smartwatches and specially-designed devices.

Established in 2018 by Goyohan Taxi Service, what sets Coactus apart is that its vehicles are driven by deaf drivers – an essential part of its social venture supporting people with hearing loss.

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.

To enhance the safety and convenience of deaf drivers, SK Telecom equipped the vehicles with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) especially developed for deaf drivers, and provided the drivers with T Care Smart Watch, a smart device also tailored to their needs.

The ADAS provides forward collision, lane departure, and pedestrian collision warnings not only on a display screen but also through vibration on T Care Smart Watch worn around the driver’s wrist. In emergencies, drivers can simply press the SOS button on the smartwatch to make immediate contact with the police and transmit the driver’s real-time location.

“We are excited to launch Goyohan Mobility through our ongoing collaboration with SK Telecom,” said Song Min-pyo, CEO of Coactus. “Through the use of technology, we will not only provide quality jobs to people with hearing impairments but at the same time make sure that Goyohan Mobility becomes well-received by the public for its high-quality services”

Goyohan Mobility is expected to create a stable work environment as the drivers will be hired directly by Coactus and receive monthly salaries. Coactus will start by operating a total of 10 vehicles driven by 15 deaf drivers and plans to increase these numbers to 100 vehicles and 200 drivers in the following years.

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 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 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 ride-hailing service in a regulatory sandbox, as a test project, buying cars and hiring drivers who get paid in monthly wages.

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.

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“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 an aging society, then we will be missing out on a huge market.”

The company is also seeking to expand overseas with its software. It was invited to Expo 2020 Dubai, held in the United Arab Emirates, to present itself among innovative companies solving global challenges.

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

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