With an increasing population and fast developing economy, Guangzhou faces a big problem caused by a lack of taxis.

The city now incorporates 84 taxi enterprises with 16,000 cabs on the streets. The number of taxis has not increased since 1999. The amount of empty taxis has dropped to no more than 30%, while the amount of occupied taxis has risen from 50% in 2003 to 70% today.

Compared to Beijing's 63 taxis per 10,000 people, and Shanghai's 27 taxis per 10,000 people, Guangzhou has a ratio of 35 taxis per 10,000 people, which is considered low for a major business city. The average time spent waiting for a taxi in Beijing and Shanghai is 5 to 10 minutes while in Guangzhou it is as much as 20 to 30 minutes.

In the past, taking a taxi was a privilege of the rich. But now the situation has changed with taxi usage becoming more popular generally. If one has the fare available is it possible to hail a taxi in Guangzhou immediately? The answer is negative.

Why is it difficult to hail a taxi?

1. Now it is the time for Guangzhou's taxis to upgrade themselves for a new generation. Some of the old taxis were sent away and the new ones haven't come out yet.

2. The motorcycle ban leads to more and more citizens choosing taxis as their main source of transportation.

3. Shift changes for taxi drivers hasn't been set properly usually switching between 5pm. to 6 pm. Unfortunately this is the peak time for traffic as people finish their work and head to dinner.

4. The long traffic jams are another problem which is one of the reasons that cause long waits for taxis.

5. As the numbers of gas stations are increasing in Guangzhou, the pressure of extra time for refueling has somewhat been eased. Unfortunately, taxi drivers are still complaining that they have to wait for 15 to 20 minutes sometimes up to 30 minutes to refill their tanks during peak traffic times.

6. Some drivers refuse to take customers after inquiring their destination. Drivers think it is not a good profit to take people to where they want and often refuse them.

7. During rush hour, drivers often drive their cars into the city's CBD (Central Business District) while at night, most of the taxis wait outside popular restaurants and bars. For this reason, other less busy places in the city experience the inconvenience of lacking of taxis.

How to Solve the Taxi-Problem?

1. 70% of citizens consider that, a perfect bus transportation system would solve the taxi problem. Taxis should not become the main means of transport.

2. Shuttle buses between bus stations and the metro stations should be efficient.

3. As the population of the city grows, the number of taxis should increase. According to usual standards, for a large-sized city, every 1,000 people require no less than 2 taxis; for a small-sized city, every 1,000 people require no less than 0.5 taxis and a medium-sized city should have a middle value range. Guangzhou now has a permanent population of 12 million and needs 24,000 taxis. The number of taxis in the city is now 16,000, which means that 8,000 more taxis are needed to meet demand according to the standards.

4. Establish flexible cars for rental during peak times or during national holidays to relive the stress on traffic in the city.

5. Carpooling is favored by some young white-collars in China especially in some big cities.

Black Spots for Ordering A Cab in Guangzhou

Hai Yin Cloth Market, Xing Zhi Guang Computer Accessory Center