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Beginning last week, Dazhong Taxi riders had to pay an extra 4 yuan for reservations.
The charges had been abandoned for eight years, since 1998. Bringing it back was something of a surprise for local citizens.
female1 in Chinese "The taxi company is transferring increased costs to passengers."
"We riders had no say at all in this. It's all up to the company to decide how much to charge."
Dazhong Taxi says the fee is meant to encourage drivers to take some short distance reservations and cover the extra cost of fuel and time for going to pick up passengers who don't show up. Meanwhile, as the current demand for service is hard to meet, Xia Jijin from Dazhong Taxi says the 4 yuan charge can make it easier for those who really need to book a taxi.
"For example, we have 20 thousand call-ins per hour during the morning rush hour. If it's a rainy day, there can be over 200 thousand people calling in. We can only satisfy a very small number of the requests."
Xia Jijin admitts that the surcharge will lead to loss of some passengers who will shift to other taxi companies' reservation service, but insists it will ensure that those people who really need a taxi ride can get one.
According to the company, the 4-yuan surcharge will fully go to the drivers' pocket to cover the extra costs they have in meeting a reservation, especially during rush hour when they have to ignore passengers on the street trying to flag down a ride.
On average, the company can fulfill 10 thousand reservations, though the number of call-ins can be as high as 50 thousand.
Other major taxi companies say they won't immediately follow Dazhong's practice, but they are mostly supportive and some say they might impose similar charges later.
A survey found that about 20 percent of callers hesitated to accept the surcharge, but the company is still arranging a similar number of reserved rides compared to their usual level.
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Director: Liu Chi