Is the spring for “black taxis” coming?

It's easy to hate a city when you're in a hurry and can't get a taxi.

In recent days, the private car services of taxi-hailing apps have been pushed to the forefront. Although they have been stopped in more than 10 cities, labeled as "black cars" and fined, it is actually just "looking miserable." What should be noted is that these "attacks" have brought a lot of support, especially official support.

Last week, the People's Daily published a series of articles blasting the monopoly of the taxi industry, and even posted 9 consecutive articles on Weibo, repeatedly mentioning "reform" and "market"; Xinhua News Agency and other central media strongly supported private cars, asking "Can taxi reform take a step forward?", enumerating the "three sins" of the taxi industry's monopoly, affirming the role of private cars, and citing the case of the "contract responsibility system" in Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province 30 years ago in the article to call for tackling the "hard bone" of taxi reform.

The Ministry of Transport also finally stated: "Private car services play a positive role in meeting the high-quality, diversified and differentiated needs of the transportation market. All types of private car software companies should abide by the rules of the transportation market, assume due responsibilities, prohibit private cars from intervening in the platform and participating in operations, so that passengers who use private car services can travel more safely and with confidence." At the same time, it also reiterated the central government's 16-character policy on innovation: "People-oriented, encouraging innovation, seeking benefits and avoiding harm, and standardizing management."

These strong signals all point to one thing - "the spring breeze of reform is coming." Wait, doesn't the transportation department strictly prohibit private cars from operating? That's why they say reform is needed - to change the status quo, but not allow private cars to participate, there is only one way - eliminate franchise rights, break the industry monopoly, and allow more operating vehicles to enter the market. Opening up the operating rights of taxis and special cars will be seen soon.

In today's booming market economy, it is incredible that the taxi industry is still stuck in the "planned economy" era with strict quantity control and single price control. Especially in cities where commuting is worrying: congested roads, parking lots with nowhere to go, overcrowded buses, taxis that never stop, and even housing prices are related to subway lines.

With urgent market demand and policy support, taxi-hailing apps will dominate the world in the future.

When I was a kid, I heard a joke from my political teacher. It was about a prime minister who affirmed an entrepreneur and asked what kind of government support the enterprise needed. The entrepreneur wanted nothing but to be the first to know the central government's policy documents. Seeing that the teacher's words were convincing, I naively believed it. It also sounded very real - policies are related to the survival of enterprises. However, the policy-making cycle often lags behind the current status of enterprise and industry development, so we don't need to be dissatisfied with special cars, because policy adjustments are not far away. Do you remember that there was a crime called "speculation and profiteering" back then? The wheel of history rolls forward, and there is no need to worry about minor bumps and stumbles.

In the future, if taxi companies lose the protection of policies and fail to reform in time, they will collapse immediately. The emergence of Dangdang.com has almost eliminated the bookstores that were once scattered all over the street corners. After the rise of express delivery, people no longer need to go to the post office to pick up and send items. Taobao has even "all-roundly" reduced the traditional retail industry...

The rapid development of the Internet has changed people's lives, improving them in many ways, magically and rapidly. In fact, the Internet only does one thing: transmit information. To put it bluntly, it is an intermediary: e-commerce connects merchants and customers, eliminating middlemen layer by layer; chat tools break down spatial barriers and allow people to communicate instantly; search websites are more direct and comprehensive in sharing information. Even companies that point out who is available nearby can be listed. We have entered an era where we don't know what to eat without Dianping. The most valuable social resource is indeed information. To illustrate this point, "The Art of War" even attributes the factors of victory to "knowing yourself and knowing the enemy."

Everyone should warmly welcome the explosion of information and the development of the Internet. The spread of information has shifted from teahouses and bars to online forums, and from forums to segmented apps, becoming more and more efficient and beneficial.

It is unrealistic for the government to develop and collect information and conduct social management on its own. If you want to know how strong people's demand for taxis is, you can only rely on taxi apps. Even if you know people's needs, it is impossible to allocate vehicles to meet them, so you should make full use of the market. What to manage should be based on people's needs. The same "black car", the uncle driving a small bend can run freely, but those in Sihui must be confiscated.

People who have memories of "speculation" and the experience of stealing eggs tend to be cautious, and the government tends to meddle in other people's affairs accordingly. The correct way to act is: the government should "do nothing without authorization" and enterprises should "do everything without prohibition".

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.