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George Chen

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.
Even if she manages to find a taxi, she will often face another challenge. Usually the driver will stop and ask you a simple question: "Where are you going?" If you only want to go a short distance, the driver may ignore you and just drive away.
I experienced this during my recent trip to Shanghai when I tried to get a cab outside a five-star hotel. I was not happy and wanted the hotel staff to record the registration number and file a complaint for me. The hotel staff laughed and said: "Relax. There is no point complaining as the government is too busy to deal with such things."
If that is the attitude of Shanghai taxi drivers and the Shanghai government, then how can you expect local people to support a government crackdown on Uber and Didi? The government may try to portray itself as a defender of regulations but in reality it is encouraging taxi drivers to be more arrogant and shows a lack of awareness of changes happening around the world.
In Singapore I didn't meet any taxi drivers unwilling to take me short distances. But my local friends still prefer calling cabs via Uber or the local market leader GrabTaxi as they provide faster, though slightly more expensive services. For many living and working in large cities, time is sometimes more important than money.
For governments that want to crack down on car-hailing services, it's time to take the side of the people who will ultimately make their choice.
 
George Chen is managing editor of SCMP International Edition. For more Mr. Shangkong columns: facebook.com/mrshangkong or follow @george_chen on Twitter


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When 60,000 taxis are not enough for Shanghai

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

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Opinion

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


Future of transport

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Mr. Shangkong

When 60,000 taxis are not enough for Shanghai

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}While anti-Uber protests are on the rise, the demand for such services cannot be dismissed

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