Up to 90 percent of Shenzhen’s taxi drivers went on strike on Monday to protest the use of ride-hailing mobile application services such as Didi Kuaidi and Uber, according to local media.
Drivers of Shenzhen’s red taxis said that they are unhappy about the competition they face from ride-hailing services, and are discontent with the fact that local government officials have not adopted measures to curb the actions of the new market entrants.
The strike resulted in long waiting queues at the Shenzhen Railway Station’s taxi rank and various other indoor and outdoor parking spaces, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.
Estimates of the number of drivers involved in the strike vary, but generally account for somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of the city’s 16,000 licensed taxis.
Taxis participating in the strike were seen around the city sporting signs that read: “not in service.” According to some reports, certain drivers were still picking up passengers despite displaying the signs.
However, the strike could do more harm than good in Shenzhen.
City Weekend reported that the starting price for Didi Kauaidi had more than doubled to RMB32 on Monday when the company registered “high demand.” There is also a danger that private, unlicensed drivers will fill the void left by those participating in the strike.
Taxi drivers in Shenzhen, as is the case with many other cities around the world, are feeling the strain from mobile application services, which the taxi drivers say are not being required to adhere to the same regulations and pricing restrictions as traditional services. Staff reporter
uber’s calamitous debut in macau
Uber, the controversial ride-hailing mobile application, debuted in Macau in October after many months of anticipation from local residents, said the company. The excitement was short-lived however, when just a few days later the Transport Bureau and the police pronounced the taxi service “illegal.” Uber responded by claiming that it was operating under the same institutions that have long been overseeing other transportation in the MSAR. But that did not prevent two local drivers from being fined for working with the unlicensed transportation company.
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