Cancel taxi operating royalties in many places, or force them to reduce ＂molecular money＂

　　Data map: Citizens prepare to board a taxi at the taxi waiting point of Beijing West Railway Station. Photo by Hou Yu, China News Agency

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 26 (reporter, Li Jinlei) Taxi reform is blossoming at the local level, and exploration is moving forward. China News Service (WeChat official account: cns2012) reporter noticed that Shenzhen, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Xuzhou, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Jinhua, Hangzhou, Yiwu, Wuhan and other more than 10 cities have successively cancelled the paid use fee for taxi operation rights, and implemented free use of taxi operation rights.

　　The free use of taxi operating rights has become a trend

　　In October last year, the Ministry of Transport issued the "exposure draft" on deepening reform and further promoting the healthy development of the taxi industry, proposing to gradually implement restrictions on the period of operation rights and free use. All new taxi operation rights shall be used free of charge, and the main business entity shall not be changed. Local governments shall not introduce new policies on the paid use of operation rights. Where the paid use of operation rights has been implemented, the city people’s government shall consider factors such as fair competition in the market, formulate a scientific and reasonable transition plan, and gradually cancel the paid use fees.

　　Recently, Shenzhen proposed to implement the reform of the taxi industry and realize the free use of operating rights, which attracted attention. China News Service reporters found that in addition to Shenzhen, since this year, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, Xuzhou, Nanchang, Ningbo, Jinhua, Yiwu and other cities have also implemented the free use of taxi operating rights.

　　Among them, since January 1, 2016, Ningbo and Jinhua have cancelled the collection of paid use fees for urban taxi operation rights, and Yiwu has also cancelled them all. Nanchang also made it clear in February that it will stop collecting paid use fees for taxi operation rights from this year, and will refund the paid use fees for taxi operation rights actually collected in advance after January 1, 2016.

　　Since March 1 this year, Suzhou City, Wuxi City, Changzhou City (excluding Jintan District), and Xuzhou City in Jiangsu Province have stopped collecting paid use funds for taxi operating rights, and implemented free use of operating rights.

　　Earlier, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan and other cities have introduced policies to stop collecting paid use fees for taxi operation rights from 2015. Among them, Hangzhou also made it clear that the operation rights of taxis are 6 years each.

　　Liu Xiaoming, director of the Department of Transport Services of the Ministry of Transport, said at a press conference during the National Two Sessions this year that the taxi reform has a very clear direction, that is, the right to operate taxis should be free of charge and limited, with the aim of enabling taxi services to enter a virtuous circle and to obtain the right to operate with high-quality services.

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　　Or will force companies to reduce "portion money"

　　"I work an average of at least 10 hours a day, the first eight hours are to earn’some money ‘, and the extra two hours are really my income," a taxi driver in Beijing Yinjian told China News Service.

　　Under the background of the impact of the network "special car", the number of passengers and the decline in income, whether the "part money" can be reduced is a particularly concerned issue for the majority of taxi drivers. So, does the cancellation of the paid user fee for operating rights mean that my brothers and sisters don’t have to pay "part money" anymore?

　　In fact, this is not the case. The paid royalties for operating rights are collected by the government from companies, and they are only part of the "part money". Liu Xiaoming revealed that although the standards and items of "part money" vary from place to place, on the whole, it includes vehicle depreciation, insurance, maintenance fees, driver’s basic salary, social insurance, business management costs, taxes, profits, and the allocation of operating rights royalties.

　　However, after the cancellation of the paid use fee for the operation right, the burden of the taxi company will be reduced, and the "part money" will have room to decline. According to media reports, there are 4040 taxis in Wuxi urban area, and the paid use fee is 8,000 yuan per license per year. The cancellation of the taxi operation right use fee is equivalent to an annual profit of more than 30 million yuan.

　　The Jiangxi Daily report also pointed out that the paid use fee for a taxi in Nanchang for 8 years is more than 60,000 yuan, and the paid use fee for 5 years is nearly 40,000 yuan. The implementation of the reduction and exemption of the paid use fee for the right to operate will force the enterprise to reduce the "part money" of the contractor.

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　　"Part money" proposed in many places will be determined through negotiation

　　After all, it is expedient to force enterprises to reduce "molecular money" by canceling the paid royalties for operating rights. How can we truly reduce "molecular money" and reduce the burden on taxi drivers through reform?

　　China News Service reporter noted that the above-mentioned taxi reform exposure draft has proposed to encourage, support and guide taxi companies, industry associations and taxi drivers, trade unions to negotiate on an equal footing, reasonably determine the taxi contractor fee standard or quota task, and implement dynamic adjustments according to factors such as operating costs and freight changes.

　　Some localities have also suggested that "portion money" will be determined through negotiation. On March 24, Shenzhen announced "four measures to streamline administration and decentralize power in the taxi industry to protect the legitimate rights and interests of drivers," including reforming the monthly payment quota ("portion money"), which will be determined by the company and the driver.

　　Hangzhou also proposed to improve the organizational structure of taxi industry associations composed of operators and drivers, and promote the collective negotiation system of industry wages and contract fees.

　　However, when it comes to negotiating to determine "part money", taxi drivers are generally worried that they are a disadvantaged group compared to enterprises, and the final negotiation result may not be satisfactory.

　　In this regard, Liu Xiaoming believes that trade unions should play a very important role in negotiations. In fact, these three parties are more important, one is the trade union, the other is the enterprise’s industry association, and the other is the government, which regulates whether the enterprise has profiteering. Under such circumstances, trade unions and industry associations represent different interests, and the government plays a more regulatory and adjustment role in it. This is conducive to the healthy development of the entire industry and can better safeguard the interests of drivers. (End)