A matter of credibility

Has the rise in taxi fares been the stone that kills two birds at the same time as the Beijing government hoped - raising cab drivers' incomes and making it easier for people to get a taxi in rush hours?

The answer may be no, since an increasing number of complaints has been lodged against taxi companies by cabbies, who allege the companies have increased their charges on drivers in different ways, such as raising the fees taxi drivers have to pay for the cabs they drive and increasing the charge for repair and maintenance.

The Beijing municipal commission of transport promised before the fares were raised that cabbies would receive all the increase and taxi companies were not allowed to raise the charges on cabbies.