ROGUE taxi drivers and their employers would face severe punishment for illegal practices and poor services, a senior transport official said Tuesday.
Huang Min, head of the city transport commission, warned that taxi drivers would be fired for refusing to use price meters or offering poor services.
The government would revoke taxi licenses from taxi companies that frequently violate the law, Huang warned.
Huang gave the warnings at an oath-taking ceremony participated by 500 taxi drivers Tuesday. On behalf of the nearly 30,000 cab drivers, the taxi drivers at the ceremony promised to obey the law and drive safely.
To improve the taxi services ahead of the Universiade, the city government would soon launch a crackdown on rogue taxi drivers who refused to use meters or refuse to take passengers, Huang said. At least two inspections would be conducted weekly, he said.
Acknowledging that many green taxi drivers refused to use meters, Huang said the situation must be corrected.
Meanwhile, the government would continue to crack down on unlicensed taxis, he said.
A random survey by Shenzhen Special Zone Daily found that only one in 25 green taxis at the Shenzhen International Airport terminal turned on the meter after taking on passengers.
As the Universiade is approaching, the transport authority has sent staff to patrol at the airport s taxi stop 24 hours a day. However, queue-jumping and overcharging are still rampant.
In an extreme case, a foreigner was charged 700 yuan (US$103) for a ride from the airport to Fuyong, a journey that should cost no more than 20 yuan. The foreigner paid US$100, according to the Daily report.
(Helen Deng)
