A DROP in riders using traditional taxi services has pushed some cabbies to install devices in their taxis that let them add distance to a fare by clicking a small remote, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported Thursday. The devices are mostly being used by green taxis, which operate outside of the former special economic zone (SEZ).

    A taxi driver surnamed Li tipped off the Southern Metropolis Daily, saying that most green taxis operating outside of the former SEZ, i.e. Luohu, Futian, Nanshan and Yantian districts, have installed the special device that lets drivers add distance by clicking a remote.

    Insiders in the taxi industry call the rigged meters “bombs.”

    Reporters from the newspaper took a green taxi with a rigged meter on it and asked another taxi without the device to follow the green taxi in Bao’an District. The meter in the green taxi showed a distance of 9.93 kilometers and charged 32.48 yuan (US$5.11), while the normal taxi showed it had traveled only 6.57 kilometers with a charge of 22.2 yuan.

    “I really can’t let this happen anymore,” said Li. “These drivers are raking in money with these devices.” According to him, the devices were very popular in the taxi industry a few years ago, before authorities brought the situation under control. The popularity of car-hailing apps has pushed some drivers to use the devices again to make up for flagging profits.

    According to the report, taxi drivers can contact car repair stores to install the device. A Daily reporter pretended to be a taxi driver and asked one shop to install the device in a taxi. It only cost 280 yuan and took six minutes to install the device.

    The report said a car repair store called Sanmao in Bao’an District sells and installs the devices. Some other car repair workshops in Buji, Longgang District, and Longhua New Area also offer the device and it is an open secret in the industry.

    Some insiders from the industry said that although many green taxis were operating with rigged meters, only a small number of red taxis, which usually operate in Luohu, Futian, Nanshan and Yantian Districts have the device.

    Li said many taxi drivers will click the remote when passengers are playing with phones or sleeping.

    “Even if the rider spots the difference and says something is wrong, these drivers will just say that the meter is out of order and charge the normal price,” said Li. (Zhang Qian)