People’s Daily Online, Beijing, September 9, according to the central government portal news, recently, the Ministry of Transport announced the newly revised "Regulations on the Management of Taxi Driver Qualifications" (Ministry of Transport Order No. 63 of 2016) and "Regulations on the Management of Tour Taxi Business Services" (Ministry of Transport Order No. 64 of 2016).
The "Guiding Opinions on Deepening Reform and Promoting the Healthy Development of the Taxi Industry" (Guoban Fa [2016] No. 58), as the top-level design for deepening the reform of the taxi industry, clarifies the positioning of the taxi industry, and puts forward the overall reform ideas of "dislocation of new and old business formats, integrated development, and construction of a diversified and differentiated travel service system". It also requires strengthening the legal system to realize that the management, operation services and market supervision of the taxi industry have laws to follow and rules to follow. Following the top-level design of the "Guiding Opinions" and implementing the relevant requirements of the State Council on "streamlining administration and delegating powers, combining decentralization and management, and optimizing services", the two ministerial orders have made adaptable revisions in the aspects of industry development positioning, division and enterprise interests distribution, driver examination, registration, and further education.
It is understood that the amendments to the two ministerial orders were solicited from local transportation authorities in early July this year. As an important supporting regulation for deepening the reform of the taxi industry, it will provide legal protection for promoting the transformation and upgrading of cruise cars, standardizing the operation of online car-hailing, and promoting the integrated development of new and old business models.
Attachment: Interpretation of the "Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Driver Qualifications" and the "Regulations on the Administration of Cruise Taxi Business Services"
What amendments have been made to the "Regulations on the Administration of Cruise Taxi Business Services"?
According to the "Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Deepening Reform and Promoting the Healthy Development of the Taxi Industry" (Guoban Fa [2016] No. 58) and the "Interim Measures for the Administration of Online Booking Taxi Business Services" (Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Commerce, Administration for Industry and Commerce, State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, State Internet Information Office Order No. 60 of 2016), the revised "Regulations on the Management of Tour Taxi Business Services" adjusted the scope of application and made a series of provisions on the positioning of the taxi industry, the distribution of interests between operators and drivers, etc. It is clear that taxis are an integral part of the urban comprehensive transportation system, a supplement to urban public transportation, and provide personalized transportation services for the public. The development of cruise taxis should be in line with the economic and social development of cities, and coordinated with the development of passenger transportation services such as public transportation. By clarifying the development orientation, efforts should be made to build a diversified and differentiated urban comprehensive transportation service system to better meet the travel needs of the people. In response to the problem of taxi "share money", cruise taxi operators are required to adjust the contract fee standards or quota tasks in a timely manner according to factors such as operating costs and freight changes, etc., to better build a business model of shared operational risks and reasonable distribution of benefits for enterprises and drivers, and accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.
II. What amendments have been made to the Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Driver Qualifications?
The revised "Regulations on the Management of Taxi Driver’s Qualifications" clarify the scope of application, and the qualifications of taxi drivers include the qualifications of cruise taxi drivers and the qualifications of online booking taxi drivers, etc., and combined with the characteristics of the new business model of online car-hailing, the driver conditions, examination content, certificate types, registration management, further education and legal responsibility have been adjusted accordingly.
III. Why should online car-hailing drivers be managed, and what aspects of the revision take into account the characteristics of online car-hailing?
Regardless of whether it is online car-hailing or cruise car, it provides universal passenger transportation services for the public, and the driver is subject to access management according to law. This is the bottom line requirement of the industry management department to ensure transportation safety and service quality. The "Regulations on the Management of Taxi Driver Qualifications" are revised to fully consider the characteristics of online car-hailing, and actively support the development of new business models through "tailor-made" system design and management innovation. For example: Compared with cruise car drivers, the content of the online car-hailing driver’s test is simplified to the greatest extent, and its registration and cancellation are stipulated, which can be completed by the platform company reporting to the taxi administrative department where the issuing authority is located.
IV. Are the application requirements for cruise car and online ride-hailing drivers the same?
According to the revised "Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Drivers’ Qualifications", those who apply to participate in the taxi driver qualification examination shall meet the following conditions: obtain a motor vehicle driver’s license of the corresponding approved driving type and have more than 3 years of driving experience; no traffic accident crime, dangerous driving crime record, no drug abuse record, no driving record after drinking alcohol, and no record of 12 points in the last 3 consecutive scoring periods; no violent criminal record; other conditions stipulated by the urban people’s government. As a taxi driver,Whether it is a cruise or an online booking service, there is no difference in the application conditionsCreate positive conditions for fair competition between new and old business models.
How to provide relevant proof materials such as no violent criminal record in the qualification examination conditions? Will it bring inconvenience to the parties?
The revised "Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Driver Qualifications" makes it clear that those who apply to participate in the taxi driver qualification examination shall provide proof or commitment materials that meet the relevant provisions: (1) Motor vehicle driver’s license and photocopy; (2) No traffic crime, dangerous driving criminal record, no drug use record, no driving record after drinking, and no record of 12 points in the last 3 consecutive scoring periods; (3) No violent criminal record materials; (4) Identity certificate and photocopy; (5) Other certification materials stipulated by the city people’s government. At present, our Ministry is actively coordinating with the public security department to verify the commitment materials provided by the parties through information technology, so as to provide maximum convenience for the applicant parties.
What are the differences between the content of the qualification examination for cruise and online taxi drivers?
The revised "Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Driver Qualifications" makes it clear that: Taxi driver qualification examinations include national public subjects and regional subject examinations. The national public subject examination is a knowledge test with universal normative requirements for national taxi laws and regulations, professional ethics, service norms, and safe operation. The regional subject examination for the qualification of cruise taxi drivers is a knowledge test with regional service characteristics such as local taxi policies and regulations, human geography of business areas, and traffic routes. The regional subject examination for the qualification of taxi drivers by online booking is a knowledge test with regional norm requirements such as local taxi policies and regulations. The administrative department of taxis of local people’s governments at or above the district level may determine other examination contents on its own according to the regional service characteristics.
What are the differences between the registration management of professional qualifications for cruise car and online ride-hailing drivers?
The revised "Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Drivers’ Qualifications" basically retains the relevant requirements of the original registration regulations for cruise car drivers, and at the same time takes into account the characteristics of the new business model of online car-hailing, and stipulates that the registration and cancellation of online car-hailing drivers can be completed by reporting to the taxi administrative department where the licensing authority is located through the online car-hailing platform company.
What optimization adjustments have been made in the further education of drivers?
The revised "Regulations on the Administration of Taxi Driver Qualifications" on driver further education only put forward the result requirements of further education, and no longer make specific provisions on the method and process of further education, and make it clear that driver further education shall be organized and implemented by taxi operators, further implement the main responsibility of operators, and pay attention to the effectiveness of further education. At the same time, those who have not applied for registration for more than 3 years after obtaining the qualification certificate shall complete no less than 27 hours of further education before registration to better ensure service skills and professional quality.