Taxi driver banned from business for ripoff

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A taxi driver in Shanghai had his business license revoked and suspended for five years after he allegedly asked a foreign passenger for 2,300 yuan ($380) for a 4-kilometer ride, 115 times higher than the fare allowed to be charged, the Shanghai Evening Post reported on Monday.

The driver, identified by the city's transportation authorities as Zhao from a small taxi company, picked up the passenger at the Longyang Road subway station at about 1 pm on Aug 3, but forced the passenger to get out at a gas station 4 km away though it was not the passenger's destination.

Before allowing the passenger to get out of the car, Zhao demanded 2,300 yuan and adopted threatening methods, including locking the passenger inside the car and not allowing the passenger to make phone calls.

The passenger eventually gave him 500 yuan and foreign currency worth about 1,800 yuan. The driver then called for another taxi for the passenger to leave.

The passenger filed a complaint, which led to an investigation by transportation authorities. Zhao was tracked down through the car's GPS data and footage caught by surveillance cameras.

Zhao, who at first insisted he was not involved in the incident, confessed to the allegations after police officers and personnel from his taxi company educated and exhorted him, and showed him the evidence, the report said.

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