Authorities on lookout for taxi driver offenses with holiday near
A law enforcer talks to a taxi driver on Monday evening.
Eight taxi drivers have been fined for various offenses, including refusing to pick up passengers, since Monday evening, the city's traffic law enforcement authorities said on Tuesday.
Authorities launched a campaign on Monday to crack down on such offenses hoping to provide all tourists with better taxi services for the coming National Day holiday.
The campaign will also focus on offenses such as taking unnecessary detours, cheating on meters and causing disorder at taxi stands.
Drivers caught refusing to take passengers will be fined 200 yuan (US$31) for the first offense and be suspended for 15 days, and if caught again within the same year for the same offense, they will be banned from driving taxis for five years.
By the end of August, over 10,000 taxi driver offenders were punished so far this year in a campaign focused on the city's airports and major railway stations, the Bund, Lujiazui, Longyang Road, The Hub in Minhang District, major shopping hubs and tourist sites, and areas around Metro stations, according to the authorities.
The authorities also imparted certain tips for people who need to file complaints about bad taxi services.
If a taxi driver refused to provide service, make sure to record the taxi's license plate number, the company it belongs to, and the service ID of the driver, and record the driver's offense by video or audio as evidence. When filing the complaint, note the location and the time of the offense, and if there were other witnesses, provide their names and contact information if available.
If a taxi driver takes an unnecessary detour during the trip and as a result charges higher fares than appropriate, make sure to obtain a receipt from the driver, being sure that the name of the company, the plate number and the driver's service ID, and the time of the ride and the fares are authentic. If possible, provide the route taken when filing the complaint.
People can file their complaints by calling 12345 or 110 and provide the information above to the traffic law enforcement authorities or the police.
