17 cameras to monitor taxi drivers

Source: Shanghai Daily

The taxi watchdog is to install surveillance cameras at 17 city locations to crack down on drivers who break the rules by refusing to take passengers.

Local cabbies have been known to reject passengers taking short journeys or on congested routes because it would affect their income.

The watchdog is also fixing LED lamps to some 47,000 local taxis which will indicate whether the taxi is available, out of service, or on its way to a booking.

The lamps will be controlled by taxi management and the driver won't be able to change their status.

If there is a complaint, the management will be able to review the car's service state and quickly determine whether the driver is breaking the rules or not.

Shanghai Traffic Law Enforcement Team said there would also be increased undercover patrols at the 17 sites where a quarter of the city's daily 2 million taxi rides begin.

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Cameras in taxis? Not sure if this protects the taxi driver or the customer. I don't know. When you brings cameras into it, common sense usually goes out the window. Will the camera have sound? Sometimes customers are rude and the driver shouldn't take them. Or they just want to go a couple of blocks? Is there a minimum distance? A minimum fare? Not sure I'd get into a taxi with a camera.