A total of 2,123 app-based cabs under nine operators have been canceled and recalled from the Shenzhen market, according to a half-year report on app-based cab operation in the city released by Shenzhen Municipal Public Transport Administration Bureau on Friday.
The bureau had issued 53,330 business permits and 64,661 driver’s certificates by July 2019 since December 2018, when the management rule on app-based cabs took effect.
Nine online car-hailing service platforms, such as Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, UCAR and Didi, are engaged in app-based cab businesses, and another eight platforms have received business operation licenses from authorities.
The report shows that 18,160 cars have been idle without business for three months, accounting for 34 percent of the total vehicles.
Less than 10 percent receive more than 20 orders a day, with an average of 9.3 daily orders and daily revenue of 296.2 yuan (US$42.92).
The number of cars providing online hailing services has decreased for three consecutive years, with 88 cars in 2017, 457 cars in 2018 and 1,597 cars in the first half of 2019 being canceled.
At a meeting to seek suggestions on the management of Shenzhen’s cabs Thursday, the bureau said it would cancel auctions for the ownership of taxi plates. Instead, cab operators will be able to bid for license plates with a five-year business operation term.
In the draft, seven-seater vans will also be allowed to engage in cab services, including online hailing services.
The draft proposes that a taxi driver’s license be revoked if the driver receives more than three penalties in a year.
Passengers have the right to refuse payment if the driver fails to deliver the service, cancels the service without a proper reason, smokes, uses a phone while driving, fails to give an invoice or carries other passengers without the initial rider’s permission.
Drivers will face fines ranging from 1,000 yuan to 3,000 yuan for violations such as bargaining, failing to provide invoices, making detours, rejecting passengers, dropping off passengers halfway, canceling the service without a proper reason and not using a fare meter.
Their licenses will be revoked if they are punished for such violations three times in a year.