On April 15th, the adjustment of cruising taxis officially started. 355 taxis of the 3 companies—Yichang Kanglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd, Yichang Huifengyuan Taxi Rental Co. Ltd and Yichang Shenglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd.—had their price adjusted, which was originally three days’ work. According to incomplete statistics, taxi drivers who work during daytime can increase their income by at least 60 yuan. On the same day, road transport authorities also investigated and punished a taxi driver who had increased the price randomly.

　　One Driver Punished for Random Increase of Price

　　In order to prevent the taxis with no fare adjustment from increasing the price randomly, the Yichang Transport Bureau strengthened investigation and punishment. Road transport authorities investigated a taxi driver who increased price randomly and demanded that he stop operating, study related rules and receive administrative penalty.

　　The taxi with the plate number of Hubei ET3**2 was not one whose price was to be adjusted on that day, and it should still execute the flag-fall price of 6 yuan. At 11 a.m., the driver took the passenger from Shenxianwan in Yiling district to Chuanzha. When the passengers got off the taxi halfway, the meter showed he only needed to pay 8.8 yuan. But the driver charged 2 yuan more claiming that taxi price in urban area was raised by 2 yuan.

　　At 11:14 a.m., the passenger called at 12328 to make complaints to Yichang Road Transport Bureau. At 11:18 a.m., the Complaint Office of the Taxi Branch began to investigate the relevant video and notified the driver of explanation. At 15:00 p.m., result came out that the taxi was suspended operation and the driver should relearn the relevant documents of Yichang Cruising Taxi Fare Adjustment.

　　Road transport authorities will intensify efforts to investigate illegal behaviors before the end of price adjustment, and illegal behaviors such as unauthorized price increase will be given upper limit punishment according to relevant regulations.

　　2.2 Yuan’s Increase from Shantou Road to Xilinghou Road with the Flag-Fall Price of 8 yuan

　　At 8 a.m. on April 15th, the reporter came to the taxi meter debugging installation working point at Shantou Road in Yichang High Tech Zone. More than 20 taxis of Leifeng Fleet of Yichang Kanglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd had already lined up. The taxi with the plate number of Hubei ET3020 was at the forefront. The driver, Fu Xiang, with the help of the staff, dismantled the old fare meter.

　　After reading the data of the old fare meter with instruments, the staff of Beijing Juli Technology Co., Ltd rewrote the new fare meter and then connected the "empty car" lamp for checking. When the "empty car" lamp was put down, the meter read 8 yuan. Drivers all took out their mobile phones to record this commemorative moment.

　　Reloading the fare meter, Fu Xiang said to his colleagues, "My taxi is the first ‘8 yuan’ taxi”, and then he carefully wiped the car with a rag and drove up to Shantou Road.

　　Soon after he set out, a passenger took the taxi from Shantou Road to Xilinghou Road. When the passenger got on the taxi, he reminded the passenger that taxis had started the flag-fall price of 8 yuan, and the passenger agreed.

　　After the passenger arrived at the destination, Fu Xiang printed out the ticket—2.5 kilometers, 9.6 yuan, 2.2 yuan more than the previous 7.4 yuan.

　　According to incomplete statistics, taxi drivers will get 2.5-3 yuan more per trip on average after the price adjustment. Drivers who work during daytime are estimated to have at least 60 yuan’s increase of income per day.

　　Price Adjustment of 1857 Taxis Expected to End Ahead of Schedule

　　The first hour of the operation showed that passengers whose travel distance was within 3 kilometers took up over 60%, and the price rose around 3 yuan. This price rise was generally accepted and there was not anyone who gave up the “8 yuan” car for the “6 yuan” car.

　　Taxi drivers all felt that the adjustment of the cruising taxi fare was a positive signal of increasing their income. Many drivers asked whether they could go to the working point ahead of schedule for the price adjustment. After consulting the Yichang Road Transport Bureau, the manufacturers etc., Yichang Kanglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd said they could increase the number of taxis whose price needed to be adjusted.

　　At about 11 a.m., all 90 taxis of Yichang Huifengyuan Taxi Rental Co. Ltd went through related tests, and flag-fall price adjustment of 71 cars were successfully completed, and the rest 19 taxis would have their meters replaced the following day. Originally, only 50 taxis were arranged to be dealt with on that day.

　　The speed was beyond everyone's expectation. Road transport authorities quickly informed Yichang Shenglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd that their price adjustment which was schedules on 16th could be brought forward.

　　By 5 p.m. on the 15th, a total of 355 went through the price adjustment process, 3.5 times of the planned number. Among these taxis, 231 were from Yichang Kanglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd, 71 from Yichang Huifengyuan Taxi Rental Co. Ltd and 53 from Yichang Shenglong Taxi Rental Co. Ltd.

　　The head of Yichang Transport Bureau said price adjustment of the 1857 taxis in the whole city was expected to end ahead of schedule.