特权出租车(tèquán chūzūchē): Privileged taxis

Airports and railway stations have always been places where illegal taxis concentrate. Beijing is no exception.

Reportedly, some yardmen in the airport and railway stations in the capital ask for a 1,200 yuan ($174) fee from every illegal taxi driver each month. In exchange, these drivers can directly enter the arrival halls to look for customers, while the licensed taxis have to wait in a long line to pick up passengers.

More importantly, the illegal taxis do not use taximeters and are well known for swindling passengers, especially those who are visiting Beijing for the first time.

These illegal taxis often come out after midnight when the subway is closed and there are few buses.

This problem has existed for decades. Some even use counterfeit money to rip off their passengers. And some form gangs to make the capital's airport and railway stations their cash cows.

The police mainly rely on campaigns to crack down on the drivers, and no yardmen and officials in the airport and railway stations are punished. If the municipal government really regards the public transport hubs as doorways to the capital and the rest of China, it should target the right people, instead of only the illegal taxi drivers.

Otherwise, the problem will persist, and seriously harm the image of the city and the nation.