Hailing a cab between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Shenzhen is not easy, not only because it is rush hour, but also because cab drivers change shifts during that peak period.

In Shenzhen, two drivers share one taxi, with each working 12 hours a day.

A recent government inspection revealed that 10 of the 18 cab drivers who stopped in the Jingtian area in Futian District refused to take passengers between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Two of the drivers were fined 1,000 yuan (US$123) each, and given penalty points because they did not put up an "out of service" sign on their cabs. A total of 75 cab drivers received the penalty after an inspection carried out on 700 cabs within the special economic zone.

Fu Zusheng, a cab driver who has been in the business for nine years, said most drivers changed shifts between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. because both day-shift drivers and night-shift drivers wanted a share of the rush-hour business.

"I can make at least 80 yuan between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., but in other times, even in the morning rush hour, I can only make at most 60 yuan per hour," said Fu.

Fu hands over his cab to his night-shift counterpart at 7 p.m. in Nanshan District and takes it back at 7 a.m. every day. If he is late, he will be fined 60 yuan per hour. "It's not high. Some night-shift drivers could fine their day-shift partners hundreds of yuan for being late for several minutes," he said.

Acknowledging that changing shifts during the peak period loses him some business, Fu said he once tried to persuade his night-shift counterpart to adopt a different time for the shift change. "He refused, even though I offered to pay a little more rent," said Fu.

Cab drivers are not allowed to refuse passengers unless they are otherwise engaged and put up an "out of service" sign on the cab window. Not following this procedure would lead to a penalty of 1,000 yuan and a penalty point, according to a city regulation.

Some drivers are not willing to put up the "out of service" sign even when they are on their way to a shift change as they hope to pick up a passenger heading in the same direction, said Tang Zhaobin, an official with the municipal communications bureau.

"If the cab driver is in Futian and is going to meet his night-shift partner in Nanshan, he will be happy to take on a passenger to that direction," said Tang. Passengers can file a complaint by calling the bureau's hotline 8322-8000 if they are refused by a cab not carrying an "out of service" sign, he said.

The communications bureau promised to carry out more inspections on cabs after the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reporter Tan Dayue complained about being refused by 10 drivers in a row during the afternoon rush hour, said Tang.

Asked if taxi drivers can change shifts at a different time, a communications bureau official surnamed Liao said that the time was mutually agreed on by drivers. "It is inappropriate for the government or cab companies to interfere with the matter," said Liao.

Most passengers complained that the awkward shift change time caused them much trouble.

"I am often refused in rush hour," said Du Tao, who travels between Futian and Nanshan every day. "It is really inconvenient."

In Shanghai, a cab driver works 24 hours a day before handing over the taxi to his counterpart between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., for the benefit of passengers.

(Shenzhen Daily February 20, 2006)