I WAS shocked to read in the South China Morning Post, on April 27, that the Executive Council was considering doubling the taxi fares. As if the inflation rate in Hong Kong is not high enough! I would have no objection to seeing fares increased by three or four times, if we had an efficient public transport system, but there is no way that taxis can be considered to be a form of luxury travel. May I suggest that someone in the Transport Department has a look at the system adopted in Seoul. There they have converted about 10 per cent of the taxis into deluxe taxis. They charge about double the fare of the normal cab, using a luxury type of vehicle, advanced drivers with a knowledge of English etc. By all means consider adopting such a system, but do not put any further burdens on the sandwich class. J. WILSON Kowloon
