BEIJING - A STRIKE involving hundreds of taxi drivers in south China entered its third day on Wednesday, as they demanded the release of 21 colleagues who police detained for protesting, state media reported.
There were no taxis in service in Sanya, a city on Hainan island, on Wednesday, and dozens of cab drivers were still gathered at the government headquarters, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Sanya's acting mayor Wang Yong met with representatives of taxi companies and drivers on Tuesday and apologised to the drivers who are protesting against high rental fees and competition from unlicensed cabs, Xinhua said.
'Lots of issues exist in our transport management, and I apologise for that to the city's taxi drivers', he told them, according to Xinhua.
The strike began on Monday, turning violent when some people smashed up 15 cabs and attacked other drivers who would not join them in the strike.
Police detained 21 of the drivers for the violence, Xinhua reported, adding that the striking drivers had now added their release to the list of demands.
It was the third strike action by taxi drivers in China in 10 days, after cabbies in the southwestern city of Chongqing and in the northwestern province of Gansu also stopped work in protest at high fees and unlicensed cabs.
State media has said taxi companies have agreed to lower the Chongqing drivers' fees for leasing their vehicles.
The local government in Gansu has also promised to get rid of unlicensed taxis, the official China Daily reported on Wednesday.
In Sanya, Mr Wang pledged to improve the city's transport industry and create a favourable environment for licensed drivers, Xinhua reported.
He also expressed support for the establishment of a cabbies' association, which is one of the other demands of the striking drivers, the news agency said.
China sees tens of thousands of violent public outbursts each year, termed 'mass incidents' by the government, often stemming from grievances over abuse of power, corruption, land grabs or labour disputes. -- AFP
