A CAB driver surnamed Wu, who had made a trip longer with a detour, was fined 50 times the overcharged taxi fee by the city’s transport bureau.

The fine for intentionally taking a detour to elongate a journey is based on the city’s taxi regulations and road conditions when the event happened.

At 7:14 p.m. April 13, a passenger surnamed Hu hopped in Wu’s cab at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, heading to Sea World in Shekou, Nanshan. The distance between the two locations is normally 26 km in a regular ride, but Wu took a detour to a longer route, which led to a trip of 41.48 km. And the taxi fee was charged at 140 yuan (US$22), much higher than the normal 80 yuan.

Hu registered a complaint with the bureau May 21. After an investigation, officers found that the driver should have driven through Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway and Nanhai Boulevard to the destination but instead took a detour around the Zhuzilin toll station, Binhai Boulevard and Houhaibin Road.

On the same day, Wu admitted to the officers that he did take a detour without communicating with the passenger first. (Xia Yuanjie)