Vague rules fail to rectify taxi problems

Rules aimed at improving taxi services in the capital are unclear and have made little difference to the number of complaints.

According to an anonymous employee at the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport (BMCT), drivers are judged to have refused a passenger when they have asked for the destination and then still refused to take the passenger, and also if their "pause" light is on, and they stop anyway to ask a potential passenger, but also end up refusing.

Driving around with the red "available" light on, but refusing to stop or ignoring passengers, does not constitute a refusal.

But taxi company staff and drivers claimed a refusal only counted if the passenger was already seated inside the cab.

Taxi driver Li Guicheng said that the regulations are vague.

"It's only a refusal when you have sat down and told the driver your destination," said Li.

"Most passenger complaints about being refused end up going nowhere because of lack of evidence," he said.

New regulations issued two weeks ago by BMCT stipulate that drivers could lose their license for up to three years if they refuse to pick up passengers at peak hours, take detours, and bargain.

BMCT's website shows the frequency of passenger complaints about being refused by drivers remains the same as before the new rules came into effect.

The main issue for drivers is the inability to cover their expenses during peak traffic hours, said Li.

"The gas price is increasing. We usually make 10 yuan every five minutes, but in traffic jams, it's only 2 yuan for five minutes. The government should either add a traffic jam fee or increase the basic fare," he said.

A customer service employee from Beifang Taxi Company, surnamed Chen, insisted that a refusal only counts if the passenger managed to get the door open before being refused.

Beifang has installed GPS in cabs so they can track whether the meter is switched on after the door was opened.

"If you just talk to the drivers outside the cab, it's hard for us to collect evidence about what happened," said Chen.

Frequent taxi user, Nasiar Abdinasir, a football referee from Somalia, said he feels there has been no improvement since the introduction of the new rules.

"It's more difficult for a foreigner to take a taxi than Chinese people," said Abdinasir, adding that for black people, the situation is worse. Some drivers do not stop because they claim they fear a language barrier, he said.

Li Yu, who works in Fuxingmen, Xicheng district, said a driver refused her just last week.

"It's difficult to get a cab at peak time. The main problem is there aren't enough cabs, and traffic is bad. No one wants to get stuck on the road," she said.