Taxi Drivers Prefer LPG to GasolineContinuing hikes of gasoline prices in China have caused more and more taxi drivers in this east China metropolis to turn to filling their sedans with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), according to a local office promoting LPG use in transportation.The number of taxis which are charged with LPG increases by 40 every day in Shanghai, and there are so far 16,000 LPG-powered taxis. This figure is expected to rise to 25,000 by the end of the year. The drivers of taxis filled with LPG can save 30 yuan per day, or nearly 1,000 yuan monthly, compared to those driving gasoline- charged taxis. Shanghai will increase the number of LPG filling stations from the current 50 or so to 80 by the end of the year, with the number of repair centers for LPG-charged vehicles rising to more than 20. By the end of 2001, all of the 40,000 taxis in Shanghai will be charged with LPG, and by the end of this year 300 of the city's buses will also use LPG. |
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