Shanghai to Use Mercedes Benzes as Taxis

Taxis in this city will soon look and ride on the scale of limousines in 2005 in China's financial center Shanghai, Yang Guoping, president of Shanghai Volkswagen Taxi Company has said.

Before October when the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is held in Shanghai, Yang's company will put 100 "Passat's" into use as taxis, and about 200 shuttle buses will also be put into use, each one worth 1 million yuan (about 120,000 U.S. dollars and equipped with air conditioning, a global positioning system (GPS and air filters.

Yang disclosed that his company is now in contact with Germany- based Benz Motor Cooperation. By 2005, Shanghai residents are expected to ride in taxis that are Mercedes Benzes.

People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/