Thumbs down for London cabs
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="iconic">iconic</span> <span word="black">black</span> <span word="hackney">hackney</span> <span word="carriage">carriage</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="century">century</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="London">London</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="streets">streets</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="shunned">shunned</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="passengers">passengers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hangzhou">Hangzhou</span>, <span word="Zhejiang">Zhejiang</span> <span word="province">province</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pilot">pilot</span> <span word="run">run</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="week">week</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 30 <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> 50 <span word="drivers">drivers</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="cab">cab</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="suspended">suspended</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="contracts">contracts</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Hangzhou">Hangzhou</span> <span word="Foreign">Foreign</span> <span word="Tourism">Tourism</span> <span word="Taxi">Taxi</span> <span word="Company">Company</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="handed">handed</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="vehicles">vehicles</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="sluggish">sluggish</span> <span word="business">business</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Business">Business</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="poor">poor</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="driver">driver</span> <span word="surnamed">surnamed</span> <span word="Chen">Chen</span>. "<span word="I">I</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="invisible">invisible</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="ignored">ignored</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="passengers">passengers</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="road">road</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="desperately">desperately</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ride">ride</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="illegal">illegal</span> <span word="taxis">taxis</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="mine">mine</span>."</p><p><span word="Chen">Chen</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="windfall">windfall</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="fancy">fancy</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>-<span word="catching">catching</span> <span word="black">black</span> <span word="cab">cab</span>" <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="applied">applied</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="August">August</span>. <span word="Getting">Getting</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="taxi">taxi</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="like">like</span> "<span word="winning">winning</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lottery">lottery</span>" <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hangzhou">Hangzhou</span>, <span word="home">home</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 8.7 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="only">only</span> 8,000 <span word="taxis">taxis</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="fleet">fleet</span> <span word="of">of</span> 50 <span word="purpose">purpose</span>-<span word="built">built</span> <span word="Englon">Englon</span> <span word="TX">TX</span>4 <span word="taxis">taxis</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="road">road</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Para">Para</span> <span word="Games">Games</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="September">September</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="transport">transport</span> <span word="athletes">athletes</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="disability">disability</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="kept">kept</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="operation">operation</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="supervision">supervision</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Hangzhou">Hangzhou</span> <span word="Foreign">Foreign</span> <span word="Tourism">Tourism</span> <span word="Taxi">Taxi</span> <span word="Co">Co</span>.</p><p>"<span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="mainly">mainly</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Hangzhou">Hangzhou</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="taxis">taxis</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="assume">assume</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="expensive">expensive</span> <span word="taxis">taxis</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="operation">operation</span> <span word="manager">manager</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="surname">surname</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Dong">Dong</span>.</p><p><span word="Featuring">Featuring</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="design">design</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="original">original</span> <span word="London">London</span> <span word="model">model</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="boast">boast</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="body">body</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="spacious">spacious</span> <span word="seating">seating</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="passengers">passengers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="user">user</span>-<span word="friendly">friendly</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="disabled">disabled</span>.</p>
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