An official with Shanghai consumers' rights watchdog said
"disturbing ads" in taxis should be banned because many passengers
have complained that they were forced to watch or listen to the ads
when taking cabs, Labor Daily reported on Thursday.
"These ads disturb passengers and violate their interests and
rights," said Tang Jiansheng, deputy director of the law department
under the Shanghai Commission of Consumers' Rights and Interests
Protection.
Tang said passengers pay fares for riding taxis rather than
watching ads, and taxi companies earn money from these ads while
passengers' fares are not reduced.
Many taxi operators in the city have equipped small TV screens in
their taxis to show commercials, which can't be turned off by the
drivers or passengers. Some also broadcast audio ads after the taxi
meters are activated at the beginning of a trip.
An official of Dazhong Taxi Co said yesterday that the company
will carry out five measures to adjust audio ads from next Monday
because many passengers said the sound is too harsh, but the
official didn't reveal the exact details, the report said.
A Jinjiang Taxi Co cabbie, surnamed Zhao, told the newspaper
that the company gave each driver 10 yuan (US$1.29) as a bonus for
using the ads in their taxi, but it never handles the disputes
between drivers and passengers that are caused by the ads.
(Shanghai Daily March 1, 2007)