Research On Shanghai Taxi Industry

Taxi is a flexible, comfortable, safe and smooth form ofindividualized transport in an urban integrated transport system. In orderto build a taxi service system with advanced operation mode, stableemployment system, strict management and good reputation and torealize the goal of optimizing the industrial structure, regulating themarket operation, strictly exercising the governmental control, displayingthe industrial self-control ability and creating a fair market environment,a research has been made on the current situations and experiences of thetaxi industry from home and abroad on the basis of a outlook of Shanghaiindustry. The research also focuses on the main causes that impedimentthe development of Shanghai taxi industry, such as position of taxiindustry, control of market size, and industrial management. The researchput forwarded that a right position of industry is the basis and prerequisite of the making developmental policies of Shanghai taxi industry. Itmaintains that the position of industry is closely connected with theeconomic development level and the ability of public transport supply. AsShanghai is developing into an international metropolis, the city’s special,industrial, demographic structure and its transport facilities are all in aperiod of accelerated improvement. The research proposes that theindustrial position of Shanghai taxi service is a provision of door-to-doorindividualized service–a supplement and improvement of fixed transportmodes including metro and bus and an irreplaceable part of urban publictransport system. Taxis function as a substitute of private cars, mainlyused for medium or short distance trip, satisfying the basic need ofhigh-end consumers and the special need of low-end consumers. Throughstrict quality and quantity analysis, the research puts forward a two-phasesuggestion on the regulation of total number of taxis in Shanghai. Thefirst phase is to moderately increase the number of taxis so as to relievethe short supply of taxi and to meet the need of2010World Expo. Theincrease should be conducted by means of bidding and closely payingattention to market response in order to decide whether to keep increasing.Considering the great growth of metro supply and the increase of taxiprice in the long term, the research suggests gradually decreasing theshare of taxi in public transport, regulating regional structure andbeneficial structure and making relevant policies of taxi’s recession from urban area or transition from urban area to suburban area on the principalof total control. Through the regulation of taxi price and the managementof contract capital, these policies will keep a reasonable profit level forenterprises, insure the salary level of taxi drivers, regulate working hoursand relieve drivers’ labor intensity. In addition, according to the realsituation, the research raises some reasonable resolutions and suggestionsfor the improvement the system and reinforcement of the dailysupervision.