CCTV9英语新闻：苏州明令禁止出租车司机使用社会打车软件

Smartphone apps that book taxis have been growing in popularity across many Chinese cities thanks to their convenience, ease of use and promotional offers... But if you are in Suzhou, a major city in Jiangsu province, you might be stuck waiting, after the local government has recently banned all private-sector taxi booking apps within the city.

 

Want to grab a cab through your favorite taxi booking app?

 

If you live in Suzhou, you won’t be able to anymore.

 

The city’s taxi drivers will now ignore your requests, even if you offer a hefty tip.

 

Suzhou’s transportation department has outlawed 1 all private-sector taxi booking apps such as Tencent-backed Didi Dache, the most popular one in China.

 

The only option for passengers now is to use an app approved by the municipal government.

 

Although it’s not as flashy and popular as private developer apps, it still does the job.

 

The municipal government first introduced a taxi calling platform in 2004... and started to incorporate requests made by smart phone taxi apps into the same municipal transport platform starting in 2012.

 

An average of 5,700 online location-based requests are pushed to as many as 4,000 cabbies in the city everyday.

 

Despite being highly popular among its users, the private taxi calling apps have come under criticism from some government departments and the public.

 

The arguments state that the apps distort the market and artificially inflate 2 prices, by sending cabs to the highest bidder 3.

 

Fei Xinyi, the director of a taxi call center in Suzhou, explains why the taxi calling apps have been harmful.

 

Those waiting the traditional way for a taxi have also been affected 4 by the taxi calling apps.

 

The 10 yuan cash rebates 5 offered to drivers and passengers using the app has led to many car drivers refusing to pick up regular passengers waiting by the roadside.

 

But some experts have expressed concerns about the government interfering 6 too much in the market.

 

Prior to Suzhou’s ban, Beijing had briefly 7 banned all such apps, before app developers changed their policy of the additional pick-up incentive 8 fee that the app charges users and gives to drivers.

 

More recently, authorities in Shanghai imposed curbs 9 on taxi-booking apps during peak traffic hours due to increasing complaints from regular passengers who say taxi drivers are refusing to pick up people not using the app.

点击收听单词发音  






1
outlawed

  
 


宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）


参考例句：





Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。












2
inflate

  
 


vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价）


参考例句：





The buyers bid against each other and often inflate the prices they pay.买主们竞相投标，往往人为地提高价钱。
Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.斯图尔特跳到海里给救生艇充气。












3
bidder

  
 


n.(拍卖时的)出价人，报价人，投标人


参考例句：





TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder.电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。
The bidder withdrew his bid after submission of his bid.投标者在投标之后撤销了投标书。












4
affected

  
 


adj.不自然的，假装的


参考例句：





She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。












5
rebates

  
 


n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣


参考例句：





The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句












6
interfering

  
 


adj. 妨碍的
动词interfere的现在分词


参考例句：





He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。












7
briefly

  
 


adv.简单地，简短地


参考例句：





I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。












8
incentive

  
 


n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机


参考例句：





Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。












9
curbs

  
 


v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )


参考例句：





In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句