How to Check If You Are Taking a Fake Taxi

With the recent spat of illegal, unlicensed taxi busts going on around Guangzhou, there is no better time to know how to check if the cab you are riding in, or about to enter, is licensed. 

Luckily, there is a way to do this through the Guangzhou Traffic Police's official WeChat account. Here is how it works:

1. Follow the account

Passengers can check the authenticity of taxis in the Guangzhou Traffic Police's official WeChat account (ID: 广州交通执法). Unfortunately for those who can’t read Chinese, the entire account is in simplified Chinese characters – although we have included the necessary characters below for your reference.

2. Select ‘Vehicle Inquiry’ (车辆查询)

Click ‘Vehicle Inquiry’ on the bottom toolbar of the WeChat account and select ‘In-City Taxi Inquiry’ (市内出租车查询).

‘In-City Taxi Inquiry’ (市内出租车查询) is the bottom of the top options present in the image above.

3. Type in license plate number

Type the taxi license plate number into the box at the top of the screen and then hit the blue search (查询) button.

4. Check your results

If the license plate number you typed in is not linked to a legitimate taxi your screen should look like this:

If the taxi is legal, your screen should look like this, with the licensing information clearly displayed on the screen:

Good luck Guangzhou taxi commuters!