Hard to catch a taxis in Beijing

During rush hour in Beijing, taxis can be found parked idle at the curb in the busiest parts of the city, as would-be passengers struggle to find a ride.

As Beijing residents complain that it is becoming harder to hail a cab in the city, cabbies grumble that low fares, high monthly fees, and gridlock make driving during rush hour a money-losing endeavour-and that it is hard to scrape by even when driving conditions are good.

Five minutes this side, ten minutes the other side.

Xie Sisi said, "Why is it so hard to find a cab in Beijing? It's almost a mission impossible! And It's not that Beijingers would necessarily mind paying the surcharge; they've been paying them since the extra fee was initiated in 2009. The problem is that they simply can't find available cabs."

So many cabs, so few willing drivers. Compared with other large cities in the world, Beijing's taxi fees are low. For a decade, the minimum charge has remained 10 yuan while fuel prices have more than doubled from 3 yuan a litre to 8 yuan.

A Beijing taxi driver said, "Our income is still around 3 to 4 thousand yuan. But compare with before, the price of everything has gone up, so relatively our income is low."

To ease the pressure, apart from a taxi center booking service - new mobile apps such as "Location Booking" and "DIDI TAXI" for calling taxis in some big Chinese cities are helping cabdrivers increase their income while providing greater convenience for passengers.

And more apps are on the way.

Wang Limei, secretary general of China Road Transport Association, said, "I think location and reservation apps are not only beneficial for our passengers but also increase efficiency. It can help everyone to plan ahead and avoid wasting time and fuel. "

In recent years, the Beijing municipal government has taken action to remedy the issue and more apps are on the way.