Taxi driver Lin Huaqiang stares at numbers on the Chongqing stock market instead of at the road.
¡°I am a full-time day stock trader rather than a taxi driver now,¡± he told Chongqing Evening News. ¡°The market's trading hours coincide with my work time so I gave up driving my taxi to come here every day.¡±

Lin has been a taxi driver for three years but he asked his cousin who is living in the countryside to take over his taxi job. And he is not the only one doing this. Over 100 taxi drivers Lin knows have persuaded each other to invest in the stock market. Some of them drive taxis, while their wives or parents watch the stock market daily, but the majority simply found others to temporarily replace them in their day jobs.

A reporter took a taxi last Saturday but did not find the qualification certificate, which should be displayed on the dashboard. The driver admitted, ¡°I'm a green hand from a nearby county. My buddy asked for my help to drive the taxi for him while he watches the stock market these days. He gives me a 50 yuan bonus every day to keep me working for him. But don't worry -- my certificate will be issued soon. ¡±
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However, the driver was not quite familiar with the streets in Chongqing, since he took the long way to get to the destination. After the unhappy experience in the taxi, the reporter called the local taxis management system and found out other passengers also complained about overcharging and lack of safety guarantees.

Chongqing transport policemen will stop taxis to spot check whether the drivers have qualification certificates. If there are increasing numbers of complaints, the people involved will be punished and the driver who should be on duty will be fined 200-2,000 yuan, and his or her qualification certificate will be withdrawn.

According to traffic regulations in Chongqing, taxi drivers must have over three-years' experience of driving, as well as qualification certificates and service monitor cards.

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