"Making Money Decreases When Using Air Conditioning"... Reason Behind the Appearance of 'Bultaneun Taxi' [Beijing Diary]

The summer in many Chinese cities is harsh. It is common for daytime temperatures to exceed 40 degrees Celsius, and in southern cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou, the 'hot and humid' weather drains your energy even after a short walk outside. Although the peak heat has yet to fully arrive, on the 4th, the highest daytime temperature in Shanghai's Xujiahui area surpassed 38 degrees Celsius, marking one of the highest levels nationwide.

Thanks to the dry climate, the shade offers some relief, but summer in Beijing is equally challenging. Fortunately, taxis are relatively affordable compared to Korea, making it easier to use them without much burden.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

However, recently, it has become common to encounter taxis without air conditioning turned on. Even when requesting to turn on the AC, the change is minimal, weaker than the 'baby breeze' from a fan. It made me think that this is a people who dislike cold drinks and cold air, even drinking beer lukewarm.

Meanwhile, I recently heard complaints from several taxi drivers that "turning on the air conditioning reduces income." Sometimes, they earn less than 2 yuan (about 380 won) even after picking up passengers, so it is difficult to provide air conditioning as well. Searching online, I found unofficial estimates from drivers that turning on the AC increases costs by at least 20 yuan per day, about 600 yuan per month. For large vehicles with bigger engine displacements, the difference can be up to 1,000 yuan per month.

A reporter from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency collaborated with a university in Chongqing, one of China's four "furnace cities" (hot cities: Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Nanchang), to conduct fuel consumption tests for air conditioning. The results showed that running the AC in environments above 20 degrees Celsius increases fuel consumption by 10-20%, and in 40-degree environments, it increases by more than 30%.

The topic has shifted toward making air conditioning operation an 'optional feature' when calling a taxi. Drivers can request passengers to pay additional fees for highway tolls, parking fees, etc., on top of the base fare, and now there is talk of including an air conditioning fee as well.

On the other hand, controversy arises over the 'commission' that platform operators typically charge. According to the industry, taxi-hailing service providers take about 25% commission from payment costs, which is considered an unreasonable structure given the various risks drivers bear. Possibly in response to this controversy, the ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing has been providing high-temperature subsidies since the end of last month in 274 cities nationwide, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Changsha. The subsidies to be paid over three months amount to 600 million yuan. Drivers receive an average subsidy of 30-40 yuan per day.

Until now, the "unwillingness" of taxis to turn on the air conditioning was seen as a daily comedic misfortune, but this summer it approaches as a tragedy reflecting the harsh operating environment.