The city of Beijing has launched a new policy to solve the problem of cab shortage in the city. According to the new regulation, every taxi driver in the city has to complete at least two jobs which are booked over the phone every day. The new regulation will come into effect from the month of June 2013.
The recent move has been taken by the authorities as they are looking for more solutions to solve the shortage of taxis in the city. Commuters in six different major urban districts can now call a dedicated number for taxis between 7am and 7pm; commuters within the fourth ring road will be able to do so during other periods.
The committee also said that people who are older than 65 years old will be given a preference for the service. So far, until Thursday, ten of the larger taxi companies in Beijing had announced that they will jointly enforce the regulation in the month of June 2013 and provide a phone for cab drivers. The companies also said that the service will be used as a criteria to assess these drivers. Special teams will also be put together to ensure that the service is provided properly.
Phone booking for taxis will cost 3 yuan extra and from this amount, 2 yuan will be given to the cab driver.
