The Shenzhen municipal government has lowered the threshold for applications for green taxi drivers by canceling four requirements, according to the latest government report.

Now green taxi drivers are exempt from the requirements stipulated in the traffic regulations, such as those who were eligible to apply must have a valid driving license with at least two years of driving experience. Applicants must also be over 20 but under 55, with at least a high school diploma.

However, the requirement are still effective for red and yellow taxi drivers.

The government has also canceled the regulation concerning the taxi ownership in the city. Taxi owners who want to sell their taxi licenses are no longer required to submit application, in which taxi owners state the reasons and the amount of taxis they want to sell.

There are 10,305 taxis operating in Shenzhen, Of these, 1,800 green taxis are permitted to operate only in Longgang and Bao'an districts. Yellow taxis are allowed to operate inside the special economic zone while red taxis can run throughout the greater city area.

According to the report, fares for public buses will now be decided by the municipal pricing bureau instead of by bus operators.

Source: Shenzhen Daily