Beijing train passengers slam unlicensed taxis, hyped up fares

Passengers who arrived at the Beijing South Railway Station late at night complained about the lack of taxis, reports said.

Unlicensed taxies block the road outside the station, while legal ones charged passengers rates much higher than the fare on the taximeter, the Beijing Daily reported on Friday.

Every night, about 50 taxis wait outside the station to swindle money from customers, the newspaper reported, noting there were more than 200 vehicles on the road, including unlicensed taxies waiting for passengers and jammed private cars.

The last trains of Beijing Subway Line 4 and 14 arrive at the station at 11 pm and 10:40 pm, respectively. However, more than 10 trains carrying over 10,000 passengers arrive at the station after 11:00 pm a, according to Beijing Daily.

“The station is owned by the China Railway Beijing Group Co Ltd. We have no authority over the roads outside around the station,” a station official who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.

“We have coordinated with relevant departments for better public transport services,” the official said, noting the situation outside the station is beyond their scope and should be handled by city authorities.

The operating hours of buses of the two routes that connect the station to other terminals has been extended, but have failed to solve the problem, Beijing Daily said.

Opened days before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the station was designed for high-speed railway, providing passengers with faster and easier check-ins and services, the report said.