BJ Taxis to Resume Adding 1 Yuan Fee to All Rides As of Today
We might have gotten used to its absence, but Beijing's additional taxi fees have returned to the city.
A RMB 1 (USD 0.15) fuel surcharge will be added to every taxi fare in the city beginning today, Aug 1, reported China Daily.
Passengers will not be charged the fare on unadjusted meters before Aug 8, at which time all taxis are expected to fully comply with the new policy. Electric-powered taxis and online ride-hailing services will be exempt from the surcharge.
A familiar sight to veterans of the city, Beijing taxi fuel surcharge has seen its ups and downs over the years. It rose to RMB 2 in April 2011 and then RMB 3 in March 2012 before dropping to RMB 2 in June 2012 before going back up to RMB 3 in March 2013, until finally getting rid of it altogether in January 2015 following a drop in world oil prices.
READ: That's Fare: Woman Pays RMB 12,000 for Taxi Ride from Hangzhou to Beijing
And with oil prices on the rise again, so too returns the Beijing fuel surcharge which are raised or lowered by a yuan every three months depending on whether the average cost of oil exceeds 0.8 yuan per liter.
Although the fare hike will definitely take an impact upon taxi frequenters, Beijing is looking to improve taxi services following a public backlash against the service at Beijing South Railway Station, reports China Daily.
With the city's subway shutting down at 11pm every night, passengers arriving at the busy transport hub have complained about a shortage of taxis during its off hours, at which time see the arrival of up to ten trains carrying 10,000 passengers. With no other option available to them, many passengers must resort to using "black cabs" as their only way home.
READ: Mandarin Month: How to Make Friends With Your Taxi Driver (and Avoid Scams)
In response to complaints, the train station has installed air conditioners and an LED information signboard detailing taxi line-up information.
Image: saporedicina.com
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