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City planners should pay greater heed to public opinion when drawing up urban development plans, says a signed article in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

A taxi driver in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, has taken legal action against the city's taxi management authority after it rejected his application for a low-emission cab.

The final result of the case has yet to be revealed, but public opinion is definitely with Lu, who had been suffering from rocketing fuel prices.

From the perspective of the market economy, in a fully-fledged market, it alone should be the final arbiter of what type of cab is used. Considering cost and profit factors, taxi drivers have every right to decide what type of cab they drive, so long as they remain within the law.

The government should not interfere in the taxi industry, a common service sector. Excessive intervention will only result in twisting the pricing mechanism and compromising both operators' and consumers' interests.

In addition, the State Council promulgated a regulation early this year stipulating that local governments should not restrict the use of small-engine cars while upgrading local taxis.

Hangzhou's taxi management authority used a city regulation drafted in 2002 as its excuse for rejecting Lu's request. The regulation stipulated that the discharge volume of taxis should exceed 1.8 liters, otherwise, no license would be issued. The local regulation is obviously out of step with the central government's aims.

In this instance, Hangzhou is not alone. Many cities, including Beijing, have had restrictions on the emission volume of taxis. For planners in these cities, the main consideration is a desire to enhance the city's image.

However, such a rigid regulation actually compromises the city's image. The use of luxury cabs does not necessarily mean a city is viewed in a positive light.

A city's good image is chiefly determined by whether it has a clean, efficient and law-abiding government, civilized citizens, and a clean and tidy appearance.

(China Daily May 29, 2006)