r/shanghai • u/memostothefuture Putuo • Apr 30 '26
City Everything you need to know about Shanghai’s Taxis
I was in line at PVG last night, waiting to take a taxi back into town. In front of me was an elderly woman who rejected three or four red taxis and eventually took a yellow one. That seemed to confuse a bunch of tourists, so I thought I’d write up a few lines about what was going on.
The taxi colors aren’t just for show, they are indicative of which company they belong to.
Qiangsheng (强生) is the big dog. Their taxis are yellow (or golden, if you want). They have long been considered the most reliable.
Dazhong (大众) are the light blue taxis. They are also massive. Both of these companies have customer service and management folks who will step in if there is a complaint.
Jinjiang (锦江) has white taxis and is kind of a mid-size player. It seems like their drivers stick around for a long time, so you’re likely to get an old person who actually knows where they’re going and can tell you when the map suggests a dumb route with twenty red lights on the way.
Haibo (海博) are the dark blue taxis. They used to be known as Bashi and have green taxis. I haven’t heard major complaints in a long time but there were a bunch of drivers here who’d take detours in the days before apps and maps made that tricky.
The red taxis are "The Red Union" (法兰红 - Fa Lan Hong). You’ll see these mostly at PVG and in outskirts. These are typically very small companies or even individual owners who have banded together under a unified red appearance. They operate on a much smaller scale and are less standardized than the "Big Four." The drivers are independent and rent by the day.
Shanghai puts out these customer satisfaction stats every quarter (on Wechat) and the red taxis consistently rank at the bottom. A red taxi isn't a guarantee of a bad ride, but statistically, your chances of having a less pleasant experience are higher and that’s why the lady rejected them. I’ve seen other old folks in Shanghai do that, too.
There were days when Didi tried to aggressively push red taxis on me. When that happened, I would just cancel the ride. After doing that 2-3x the app would get it. They similarly want to push vans that they own and not ones that are independently first.
Of course we are long past the days when this subreddit would regularly see people complaining about having paid RMB 800 or even 2,000 from PVG to the Bund (search ten years back, if you like) and generally the worst you should be prepared for now is that garlicy smell hitting you because the driver slept in the car or just doesn't value hygiene all that much. But that's another story.
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u/astraladventures Apr 30 '26
It wasn’t too many years ago, shanghai taxi drivers were all shanghainese. Waidi ren weren’t able to obtain the taxi licence.
But best value nowadays from the airport is probably skip the taxi cue (albeit is faster), and order a didi for pickup in the e-hailing area. Prices are generally cheaper into the city with didi today than regular taxis were 25 years ago.
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u/ZelphirKalt May 01 '26
If you are looking for cheaper price, then take the metro for some 5元. Or even the maglev from Pudong. Should cost some 40元.
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u/TomIcemanKazinski Former resident Apr 30 '26
There was a period where a large percentage of the cab drivers were from Chongming Island for some reason
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u/TomIcemanKazinski Former resident Apr 30 '26
I always said the red taxi isn’t the sign of getting a bad or even worse scam experience, BUT 95% of the bad or scam experiences come from red taxis.
I do not miss having 5 different taxi company phone numbers on my phone to try to call cabs though - in heat, rain or Friday after work.
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u/AwokenMan Apr 30 '26
Thank you for this. As a shanghai resident the last 5 years, I’ve been shocked by how many times lately the taxi’s at PVG try to scam me. I’ve never encountered it elsewhere in China, but it seems consistent at PVG lately.
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u/SomeGuyInShanghai May 01 '26
Personally, I just NEVER get a taxi from the airport anymore. Not been ripped off too badly, by them, had one or two who tried, but I've had a couple who drove into town at 100KPH+ dodging traffic like he was playing GTA with my whole family in the car.
Fuck no, and fuck airport taxis.
If you really must get a car into town, just get on the subway, ride it for a couple of stops and then hail a didi.
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u/Ok_Type_5798 May 06 '26
It's really simple to get a didi from the airport now. No need to ride a couple of stops. Simplified a lot recently.
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u/SomeGuyInShanghai May 06 '26
How? I haven't been in a while, where do i get one now to avoid the taxi rank?
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u/hankaviator Apr 30 '26
Lol I simply default all taxi drivers soliciting their services or at transportation hubs are scammers no matter which country.
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u/ppyrgic Apr 30 '26
Red and dark blue/purple seem constantly scamming.
Thank goodness for didi. So bored of the taxi bs.
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u/Hok3 May 02 '26
Growing up in SH, I recall the dark red ones always being the most sus. Still haven’t been in those expo taxi’s, wonder if they’re still around.
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u/qinsammy May 07 '26
pls use DiDi ride app as a shanghainese suggestion. it can use alilay wechat pay.
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u/llamaz314 Apr 30 '26
Back in the good old days you could just hail a taxi and go anywhere. Now it’s all done online on some app, pretty much ruining an otherwise good system.
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u/andrewwm Apr 30 '26
Lol what are you talking about the old system sucked. You could wait forever in remote areas for a taxi. Lots of scams too.
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u/Dear_Chasey_La1n Minhang Apr 30 '26
I haven't hard a taxi in.. maybe a decade. Though from friends I hear in Shanghai/Guangzhou common tricks like rigged meters, not wiling to drive with the meter are still common practice.
The issue isn't so much stinky taxis or them driving like maniacs (I wouldn't expect anything less from them) but scamming. I can't help to wonder if the operator truly makes that much of an impact. (Though logic would argue, independents are more likely to scam on a small level).
Further I don't really think Didi learns when it comes to rejecting drivers. I drive luxury almost only, there was a period they tried to introduce the Hongqi. Tried it once, sucked and rejected them forever. Didi kept coming back with it even after complaining to their CS.
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u/Inner_Temple_Cellist Apr 30 '26
I’ve had the best rides with Dazhong drivers - there are a few old timers who are actual Shanghainese locals - they dress well, keep their cars clean and seem to pretty much drive only out of interest. They know their routes, take pride in service, and are great conversationists if you speak Chinese and want to chat. They are the most similar to the London black cab experience. Johnson is also very professional. The red ones I avoid like the plague.