Fleecing of coach passengers shameful

COACH DRIVERS picking up passengers at an expressway service station in Zibo, East China's Shandong province, reportedly charged 5 yuan ($0.7) to 20 yuan per passenger. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Tuesday:

What happened at the Zibo expressway service station casts a shadow over the official efforts to serve citizens in need of long-distance, affordable travel.

Allowing coaches to pick up passengers from service stations is in the interests of both local residents and the transport authorities who had been struggling to rein in illegal pick-ups along the expressways: Some coaches would take unauthorized routes, even detours, just to get more passengers on board.