Drunken drivers refuse a lift | |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/08/31 11:13 上海英文星报 | |
THE newly-developed business in the city of driving drunks home seems to have met with a cold shoulder with the company providing the service receiving only 15 calls a week, the Shanghai Morning Post has reported. A Hong Kong businessman, surnamed Dai - a frequent customer of the new business when he is in Shanghai - said he used to ask his private driver to drive him home after a heavy drinking session but the cost of doing things this way was rather high. Employing a temporary driver, on the other hand, costs only 100 yuan (US$12) a trip. Dai said he would have one or two business banquets every week where, unavoidably, he would drink too much to be able to drive home by himself. Fu Lianbao, an official with the company which provides drivers for those too drunk to drive, said the business was proving to be far from satisfactory. Since the company launched the service over one month ago, it had only received an average of 15 assignments every week. "Presently this market is far from mature. Many experienced drivers think nothing of driving after drinking, so they wouldn't ask for help," Fu said. A lack of safety awareness was the reason for sluggish business, he said. But insiders said apart from the lack of safety awareness, another problem was that the new service needed ro make some improvements. For example, the company should set out clear regulation guaranteeing the car owner's personal property and safety. Sources with the police office said the appearance of the new service was, at the very least, a good sign that people's awareness of driving safety was rising. (Star News)
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