采访视频链接：http://english.cntv.cn/2015/07/21/VIDE1437428523330345.shtml
1. What is the logic of the recent prosectution of the government? The most recent high profile prosecution cases are in Shanghai. The Shanghai government has yet to prosecute other inadequecies and safety problems of tailored taxi services. For now, the major reason for prosecution is the missing of operating licences for the vehicles involved. When prosecuted, the Shanghai government fines 10K for the driver, suspends the driver's license for 3-6 months and fines the car-hailing platform for 100K for each case. Note, however, that the number of prosecution cases seems to suggest that the government is telling us its feasible prosecution actions but not necessarily that related laws will be enforced to its full extent. I think the logic is that the government understands very well that social welfare is a function of law and technology. Each influences the evolution of the other. It is perhaps less important to immediately amend the laws or enforce the laws to its full extent when a new technology starts to change our lives. There should be a degree to which a technology is allowed to spread its wing so we know better its potential and boundaries. Technology vendors should also be fully warned because indeed car-hailing service is a mixture of profit making opportunities and public services. We must acknowledge that car-hailing apps already helped improve taxi shortage in some areas at certain time of the day. But the elderly and the handicapped should also be able to reap benefits from such technological changes. Now grandpas and grandmas couldn't easily hail a cab on the streets if they don't know how to use apps.
For now, there is an urgent need to provide minimal protection to our customers. The tailored taxi services are not providing this minimal protection yet especially in the insurance area. As non-licensed vehicles, many tailored taxi service drivers have not bought insurance for the passengers, unlike what licensed taxi drivers do. It is unfair to the licensed taxi drivers as their income has dropped and yet they have to pay the taxi intermedaries for fuller insurance coverage. The point is many passengers do not know this key difference of insurance. I expect though this is a solvable problem if given enough attention. Insurance policies are complicated for an average customer. The government should help solve such information asymmetry problem to some degree and let the market does the rest. |
