Taiwanese tourist in mainland China ignored by more than 20 taxis

A Taiwanese tourist was declined a ride by over 20 taxis in the mainland’s Xian city, causing local newspapers and netizens to reflect on Xian's transport problems.

Reporters from Xinhua conducted an investigation on Xi’an taxis after the incident and waited at various city intersections and street corners to see whether taxis would stop for them. The results were mixed - while certain streets yielded taxis faster than others, reporters generally had to wait from five to 15 minutes before they could successfully hail a taxi. On more than one occasion, empty taxis would drive by and ignore them completely.

A Xian Taxi Management Office spokesman, named Zhang Xiaoping, told Xinhua that it was unclear why Liu had been rejected so many times. He apologised for Liu’s misfortune and said if she could provide evidence the drivers had intentionally ignored her, they would be punished in accordance with Taxi Management Office regulations. Zhang also said that generally, if passengers felt taxi drivers had wrongfully denied them a ride, they could call the office and file a complaint.

Sina Weibo commentators were sympathetic to Liu. Many said that even though her destination had not been far, dealing with unwilling taxi drivers was a common problem in Xi'an. 

“The number of Xian taxis who refuse potential passengers is unparalleled,” one blogger wrote. “I’ve never seen so many in any other place.”