FORTY-SIX green taxi drivers had been dismissed for staging an unauthorized strike, the taxi industry self-discipline committee said Tuesday.
The drivers were employees of 10 taxi companies. They stopped work in different locations from 7 to 12 a.m. Oct. 26, causing much inconvenience to residents and damaging the image of the taxi industry.
The drivers had ignored instructions from their superiors a number of times, the committee said. The decision to dismiss the drivers was taken to maintain the stability of the taxi industry and to promote its healthy development.
The drivers would not be allowed to work in the taxi industry in the future, the committee said.
Green taxi drivers in the two districts stopped work in late October in protest at illegal taxis operating in Bao an and Longgang. Some, being monitored by the GPS tracking system, simply drove around displaying a sign saying operation suspended temporarily.
It was the sixth time green taxi drivers in the two districts had gone on strike. They staged the protest because electric bikes and unlicensed vehicles operating as illegal taxis had caused them financial losses. Previously, they had staged protests either to demand lower rental fees or higher fuel subsidies.
The city transport commission has decided to reduce the vehicle deposit charged to each green taxi driver from 90,000 yuan per vehicle to 50,000 yuan per vehicle. The excess sum of 40,000 yuan would be returned to drivers by February next year at the latest.
(SD News)
