SOME drivers of fuel-powered taxis in the city have been privately canceling the fuel surcharge, which was raised to 3 yuan (US$0.44) again yesterday due to the rise in oil prices, for fear that the fuel surcharge will cause a drop in business.

The surcharge mechanism was instituted to protect the income of fuel-powered cabbies from being reduced by rises in fuel prices. There is no fuel surcharge for electric taxis in the city.

However, many drivers said the surcharge is driving away their customers.

A resident surnamed Liang said she avoided taking a red taxi (fuel taxis are painted red) because of the fuel surcharge.

A couple days ago, Liang and her friend tried to hail an e-cab on Xiangmei Road although a red taxi stopped for her in front of the e-cab. The red taxi driver opened his window and told Liang to get in the taxi. “He told me he wouldn’t charge me the fuel surcharge,” said Liang, adding that she felt embarrassed. Liang let her friend take the taxi and told the cabbie that she was going in a different direction.

Liang took an e-cab home that day and her friend told her the next day that the red taxi driver didn’t charge her the fuel surcharge. “My friend also told me that the cabbie had complained about losing business because of the fuel surcharge.”

Many red taxi drivers cancel the surcharge in private to compete with e-cabs.

The flag fall price of a cab during the day is 10 yuan for the first 2 kilometers. With the surcharge, a rider has to pay 13 yuan for a ride shorter than 2 kilometers while it costs only 10 yuan to take an e-cab.

A driver surnamed Yan said that many taxi hailers have refused the red cabs because of the surcharge.

Yan is one of the drivers of the 5,000 fuel-powered cabs that will be replaced by e-cabs by the end of the year. (Han Ximin)