Shanghai, FIAT, Nissan, Polonez, Lada, Mazda, Toyota, Volga, Santana, Red Flag, Xiali, Alto, Fukang, Jetta, and ten more brands have played a long-lasting role in the city and became a symbol as time progressed.

This is the fortieth anniversary of the taxi in Chongqing. The taxi represented the epitome of traffic development, witnessing many changes of life and development in the city.

First generation: Shanghai Auto

Taxi drivers were advanced workers of units.

Cheng Ping, who retired from Chongqing Taxi Co., Ltd. this year, devoted all her life to the taxi industry of Chongqing.

Cheng Ping said that the birth of the first generation taxi attracted as much attention of the public as a bomb.

High standards were applied in choosing taxi drivers and there were 20 drivers for 20 taxis. The taxi company was managed by the Public Utility Administration Bureau, most of taxi divers came form water supply company, ferry company and public transport company and other companies controlled by Public Utility Administration Bureau.

20 drivers from various units became the first generation of the taxi drivers after a series of selections. They all were proud of being a taxi driver at that time, for they were the advanced workers of their own units.

Being different from the today’s taxi drivers, who are always looking for passengers everywhere, these 20 drivers could only stop at Niujiaotuo in Yuzhong District to take passengers and communicate by allocated calling and dispatching. Cheng Ping said, “The drivers go to work at 8:00 am and go off work at 5:00 pm. There is no difference with other office workers.”