Commuters in Beijing will soon have to face a hike in taxi fares. This action will be taken in order to address complaints of the taxi drivers regarding low income. The Beijing municipal authorities also said that this will make it easier for the public to hail a cab.
The plan released by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform said that the base fare would go up from 10 yuan to 13 yuan for the first 3 km. Also, the rate per km after the first 3 km will rise by either 2.3 yuan or 2.6 yuan from the current 2 yuan. At the moment, the Beijing taxis are adding 1 to 3 yuan fuel surcharge for trips longer than 3 km.
The amount of surcharge will vary with the current price of fuel. The new plan states that the surcharge will be fixed at 1 yuan. One of the taxi drivers said that he fears many people would prefer public transportation system if the taxi fares are increased.
On the other hand, one of the citizens said that she can understand why the taxi fares have to be increased, as the price of fuel keeps rising but she will still opt for buses or subways if the taxi fares do get an increase.
