The next time you see a solid silver taxi in Guangzhou, don’t bother flagging it down – chances are it’s just a regular car posing as a licensed cab.
Since May, the Guangzhou Traffic Law Enforcement Department has been investigating fake taxi violations in key areas of the city. As of June 6, officials had discovered no fewer than 134 counterfeit taxis, including a number of new silver cabs, all of which turned out to be fraudulent.
Though they look pretty convincing from the outside, these silver cabs typically have a nonstandard meter apparatus and different operational logos, according to NetEase. Authorities also found that one silver car featured a license plate and frame from two separate taxi companies, allegedly taken from registered vehicles that are currently out of operation.
So how can you be sure if a taxi is legitimate or not? It helps to memorize the colors of cabs serviced by Guangzhou’s main taxi companies, as pictured below:
Yellow: Kwong Chun Taxi Brigade 广骏旅汽的士
Light blue: Baiyun Taxi Group 白云出租汽车集团的士
Red upper, gray lower: Guangzhou Transportation Group Taxi 广州交通集团的士
Light brown: Sui Union Taxi Company 穗盟的士公司
Light green: Tianhe Unified Taxi Company 天湖统一的士公司
There are also a number of smaller taxi companies that service green vehicles – never silver.
The hunt for illegal taxis in Guangzhou will continue indefinitely, according to law enforcement officers, in an effort to standardize transportation operations in the city.
In the meantime, if you spot a suspicious-looking vehicle, feel free to call the government service hotline at ‘12345’ to report it (no joke). The Mandarin for fake taxi is: jiǎmào chūzū chē (假冒出租车).
READ MORE: How to Check If You Are Taking a Fake Taxi
[Cover image via ycwb.com and colored taxi photos via toutiao.com]
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