Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    SEVENTEEN cab drivers were included on a blacklist by the city’s public transportation commission and have been disqualified from working in the taxi industry, according to a notice from the transport commission Wednesday.

    The drivers were shamed for either rejecting rides, rigging taxi meters to rip off riders, or resisting law enforcement by violence, the commission said in the notice.

    One of the 17 cabbies, Gao Yong with Shenzhen Shenyang Taxi Service Co., was fired for bargaining and rejecting passengers in January. Another disqualified cabbie, Li Jingong with Baoluhua Xinhua Taxi Service Co., assaulted and attacked inspectors at Shenzhen North Railway Station. Li was detained for five days and later was fired by his employer.

    Among the 17 disqualified taxi drivers, seven were fired for ripping off riders by modifying taxi meters, and four of them were fired for rejecting passengers.

    On another list, 16 cab drivers and their companies were praised for their good Samaritan deeds, such as giving back valuables that passengers had left in their cabs or helping those who had lost their way.

    On Feb. 17, a passenger surnamed Shen forgot his luggage in a cab, but the driver, Quan Jian, with Shenzhen Trans-Tourism Bus Service Co., found the luggage in the trunk after the overnight shift ended. Quan reported the lost items to the company, which contacted Shen about 12 hours later. The luggage contained 200,000 yuan (US$29,410) in cash.

    The transport commission said that it was establishing a credit system for both drivers and taxi operators, and the records would be included in the national information sharing platform. Untrustworthy drivers will be disqualified from engaging in public transportation services including taxis, buses and app-based cabs.