More than 1,000 disgruntled taxi drivers went on strike in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Monday, complaining about gas price hikes and worsening traffic jams.

The strike started during the morning rush hour.

Hundreds of cab drivers drove their taxis to different downtown areas in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, in the morning. Some stopped other taxi drivers not participating in the strike.

Local police and traffic authorities have been dispatched to maintain order and to talk to the taxi drivers about their complaints.

The cab drivers were still striking as of Monday afternoon.

In Shanghai, more than 20 cabs parked in the lanes of Xianxia Road, Changning District, blocking traffic, as the drivers demanded pensions from their cab company.

The cabs were later directed to a parking lot nearby by the police station and traffic resumed.

The company, Fuxin Cab Company, has about 70 cabs, and an initial investigation showed that the company has paid social insurance and pension for their staff, according to the city's traffic port bureau.