Beijing is an exciting city! Stay updated with our weekend summary of the latest happenings.
Beijing Railway Stations Launch Trial for “Short Distance” Taxi Lanes
In July, several railway stations in Beijing started trialing expedited “short-distance” taxi pick-up lanes. This initiative seeks to address the frequent problem of taxi drivers in pick-up lines refusing to take passengers who need rides for shorter distances.
Taxi drivers waiting for fares at transportation hubs like railway stations and airports often prefer longer trips, as these generate higher earnings. Consequently, they are typically reluctant to accept shorter journeys that would require them to leave the lengthy taxi queues, which do not yield much profit. In many cases, the pay for these shorter trips does not even exceed the base fare.
This situation has led to an increase in both hesitancy and outright refusal among drivers to accept such trips. For instance, at Beijing North station, the refusal rate for taxi drivers had exceeded 50 percent by last month.
To tackle this issue, Beijing North station introduced an airport-style “short-distance” lane. When a taxi driver accepts a fare within 5km of the station, they receive a special “short-distance” express pass. After completing the ride and returning to the station, the driver can show the pass along with the trip receipt, allowing them to join the “short-distance” taxi pick-up line again within an hour.
Since the initiation of this service at Beijing North station, reports of taxi drivers refusing short-distance trips have dropped significantly, with the acceptance rate for such trips estimated to have risen by 60 percent. Similar services have also been implemented at Beijing Chaoyang, Beijing, and Qinghe railway stations.
Beijing to Host World Aquatics Championship in 2026
Beijing has been awarded the 2026 World Aquatics Short-Course Swimming Championships, following a competitive bidding process by the World Aquatics Bureau. This event will bring together over 1,000 elite swimmers from more than 200 countries to the capital for six days in late next year.
World Aquatics, previously called the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), is the recognized governing body by the International Olympic Committee for all official international water sports events.
Beijing has a solid history of hosting international sporting events, having organized 38 World Aquatics events in the past. Additionally, the city has already been selected to host the 2029 World Aquatics Swimming Championships.
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Images: Unsplash, Beijing Fabu
Beijing is an exciting city! Stay updated with our weekend summary of the latest news.