George Chen

Mr. Shangkong | When 60,000 taxis are not enough for Shanghai

Name: SCMP
Telephone: +852-2680-8888

While anti-Uber protests are on the rise, the demand for such services cannot be dismissed

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A Shanghai cab driver works on his GPS machine as taxis complain about the competition from outfits like Uber. Photo: Reuters

George Chen

Published: 5:00pm, 26 Jul 2015Updated: 12:07am, 27 Jul 2015

Those who follow me on Twitter may have noticed that I have been on the road for the past few weeks. Wherever I go, from Singapore to Shanghai, local transport is a growing issue.

In Shanghai where more than 60,000 taxis with official government licences are on the road every day, the locals keep complaining about the lack of cabs as well as worsening service standards of 'official' taxis. Meanwhile, more locals, especially the tech-savvy younger generation, use Uber or Uber-like local car-hailing service Didi.

When getting in an officially licensed taxi and talking with the driver, you tend to hear a lot of complaints about Uber and Didi.

One taxi driver complained that Uber and Didi were destroying his business and sooner or later taxi drivers would unite and go to the Shanghai government's head office to protest. I don't think he was joking. Such anti-Uber protests have taken place in various Chinese cities, including Hong Kong just last week.

But when you ask your friends what they think about Uber and Didi, most of them simply praise their cheap and efficient services.

Even my mother, who is in her late 60s and just got a new iPhone, urged me to help her install the app so she can use Uber rather than stand in the street hoping to find a government licensed taxi quickly.