Scan a QR code from your car: Korea Expressway Corp. rolls out fueling assistance service

Korea Expressway Corp. said it is rolling out a "QR call fueling assistance service" at 218 self-service expressway gas stations across the country to make highway fuel stops more accessible for people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women and others with limited mobility.

Of the 226 fiscally operated expressway gas stations currently in service, 218 — or 96 percent — run on a self-service model. Calls for better access had grown after it became clear that mobility-impaired drivers had to get out of their vehicles to use call bells and other assistance devices.

The new service establishes a contactless call system that lets drivers request help without stepping out of their cars, strengthening both safety and accessibility for vulnerable road users.

Customers who need assistance can scan a QR code affixed to the fuel pump and receive help immediately. Those who have difficulty scanning the code can call the station office number printed below the QR code and ask an on-site staff member for help.

Once a request comes in, a station employee assists the customer through the entire fueling process.

"This service goes beyond fueling support for mobility-impaired travelers — it is a lifestyle-oriented public service that guarantees the right to mobility," a Korea Expressway Corp. official said. "We will continue to improve on-site systems so that everyone can use expressway services safely and conveniently."

Meanwhile, Korea Expressway Corp. has partnered with domestic refiners SK Energy and GS Caltex, as well as the Korea Highway Rest Area Facilities Association, to sell fuel at its expressway discount gas stations at prices among the lowest in the country, easing the burden of fuel costs on motorists.