Taxi driver sacked after watching TV shows behind the wheel

A taxi driver from Haibo taxi firm was sacked after being recorded watching TV dramas while driving on Monday.

The driver, surnamed Zhou, picked up a passenger, surnamed Yu, at Hongqiao Railway Station. According to the video clip shot from the back seat of the taxi, Zhou was watching TV dramas on his smartphone which was fixed beside the steering wheel.

“I tried to tell him to stop watching it,” Yu claims. “But I was ignored.”

Yu also said that Zhou was driving “very fast” on the elevated road while watching the drama, and that he braked hard several times. “I felt it was very dangerous,” Yu said.

Haibo taxi firm said Zhou has been sacked for dangerous driving on Tuesday. 

“We have apologized to the passenger,” said Gao Liming from Haibo. “What Zhou did was way beyond acceptable.”

The taxi firm said they will start inspections and enhance safety awareness education among its drivers.