Taxi Graveyard, China

Raline

Taxi Graveyard, China


Thousands of scrapped taxis are abandoned in a yard in the center of Chongqing, China. Traffic congestion and pollution have worsened dramatically in Chinese cities because the country's long-running economic expansion has allowed increasing numbers of consumers to make big-ticket purchases such as cars, which means many no longer have to rely on taxis or public

Raline

Yellow Sea


Taxis may be economical conveyances but their numbers are governed by the laws of economics: the more demand there is for taxicabs, the more will enter the market… and vice versa. Even Chongqing, China’s shiny fleet of yellow, natural gas-powered cabs isn’t immune to the negative implications of positive economic growth.


The scene of post-apocalyptic taxicab desolation above dates from March 4th, 2009, and features some of the hundreds of abandoned taxis dumped in a field (though doubtless more than a few are in decent running condition). As China’s working classes become more wealthy and upwardly mobile, they’re showing their new status by buying cars of their own. Good for Chinese automakers; not so much for China’s taxicabs and their drivers.

Hong Kong Gone Wrong



Taxis in Hong Kong are color-coded with red being most expensive, green less so, and blue the lowest-priced. The LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) powered 2002 Nissan Cedric cab above, recently abandoned for unknown reasons, looks little the worse for wear… the meter inside might still be running.

Down & Out In Dakar


In Dakar, Senegal, the streets’ soft shoulders really are soft. They also make great places to abandon a taxi though by the looks of it, the African city’s Fadia neighborhood looks more than a little abandoned itself. Salutations and stuff to Panoramio user Babacar for venturing out into Fadia’s mean streets to snap this dusty castoff cab.