Rogue cabbies are 'meeting demand'

China's major cities have been urged to abandon hardline tactics to clamp down on illegal taxis and buses and instead ease licensing regulations.

Experts claim the problem of "black" transport companies is down to supply not meeting the growing demand.

No official figures are available as to how many unlicensed taxis and buses are in operation across China. However, black cabs were believed to have already outnumbered legal operators by 2005, according to the Beijing municipal traffic law enforcement team.