Saving Taxi Drivers...From Each Other!(a)|台湾运转手物语

Saving Taxi Drivers...From Each Other!

On the streets of Taipei, you can see empty yellow taxis winding in and out of traffic. It's a far cry from a decade or so ago, when people stood by the roadside waiting and unable to find a cab.

Now, as a result of many factors, such as the opening and growth of the MRT system and the economic downturn, taxi companies and drivers are offering discounts and other incentives to attract customers. Add the rising price of gasoline to the discount wars, and it's no wonder that drivers are saying that they can't take it anymore and that it is getting increasingly hard to make a living.

According to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), at the end of 2009, there were 88,000 commercial taxis in Taiwan, 31,000 of which were registered in Taipei and another 23,000 in New Taipei City. This means that more than 60 percent of all the taxis in Taiwan are driving on the streets of the Taipei metropolitan area each day. This doesn't take into account the many cabs from nearby Taoyuan, Keelung, or Yilan that occasionally make forays into Taipei to grab customers. The competition is indeed intense.

Driving a taxi is a free profession. There are no organizational restrictions, and the industry is not subjected to much management or regulation. Since there are low barriers to entry, almost anyone can get a basic license saying they are qualified to drive a cab for life and without any need for renewal. Also, there is no required education or training, so one could say that the quality of service is inconsistent from one taxi to another.

台湾运转手物语

　　走在台北街头，处处可见民众昵称『小黄』的出租车身影穿梭其中，10多年前乘客在路边苦苦等候、拦不到车的情景几已罕见。

　　但现今受到捷运通车及线路扩增和经济不景气等不利因素影响，为吸引顾客，各家车队与个人出租车纷纷祭出打折和其他优惠吸引顾客，再加上油价高涨，车资价格战让运将大叹生意难做，苦不堪言。

　　根据交通部截至 2009 年底的统计，全台营业出租车约有 8 万 8 千辆，其中登记在台北市的有 3 万 1 千辆，新北市的有 2 万 3 千辆，等于全台超过 6 成运将每天穿梭在大台北『一级战区』讨生活，还不包括邻近桃园、基隆、宜兰等地出租车，不时越界前来抢客，竞争激烈。

　　开出租车为自由业，不受任何组织约束也缺乏管理规范，因入行门坎低，不难考上执照，一考上就是终身使用，不用更新，也没有教育训练，司机提供的服务素质往往参差不齐。