Taxis in Guangzhou will be put out of commission after completing 500,000 kilometers, thus shortening their period of operation to between three and five years from the current eight years, according to the city's communications authority.

In a meeting Sunday, Xian Weixiong, the director with Guangzhou Municipal Communications Committee, said the new rule aimed to lift the threshold for the industry and a cab would be compulsorily replaced with a new one after having run for 500,000 kilometers.

Previously, taxis were compulsorily scrapped after eight years of operation. Xian explained that the service period of a taxi is subject to the current rules on taxi management, because out-of-commission taxies could be used as ordinary vehicles.

More new taxies are expected to hit the road thanks to the new rule. A taxi runs 300 to 400 kilometers daily on average, thus ensuring new vehicles on the road every three or five years, according to the new rule.

Besides, the new rule, based on a national standard pertaining to old vehicles, is expected to impact drivers who buy the license for a lump sum than those who pay monthly rentals to taxi companies.

Normally, it will take the former about five years to earn the 300,000 to 400,000 yuan (US$50,000) he paid to buy the license for a cab of eight years.

"We hope the government to work out some measures for us do deal with the issue," a manger with a taxi company urged in the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2006)