Shanghai transport authorities reminded local residents to report unlawful actions of the city's taxi drivers via its 24-hour bilingual hotline, ahead of a new national policy that aims to crack down on the malpractices committed by cab drivers, which takes effect Sunday.
The new policy stipulates that taxi drivers, who refuse passengers, drop them off before reaching the destination requested, or take a detour, will be punished with a fine of up to 200 yuan ($31).
In more serious cases, taxi drivers additionally face up to 15 days suspension, or their license.
The move means little change for Shanghai, however, since the city implemented the same rules back in 1994, according to the city's transport and port authority, the body responsible for regulating the local taxi industry.
But, the formal adoption of the policy nationwide means that the administration will be stricter on taxi drivers, who disobey the rules, said the administration's press officer Ding Ling.
She said that since the city equipped all taxis with GPS systems in 2009, customers who call the 12319 hotline with reports in either Chinese or English can rest assured that local authorities will be able to track down the troublesome cab drivers - even if passengers fail to jot down a cab driver's identification and plate number in time.
Most recently in the city last week, a taxi driver, who took a 12-year-old girl on a massive detour, was eventually found by authorities with the help of the GPS system.
His case was taken very seriously by local authorities, who stripped him of his license and banned him from the profession for five years.
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