Chinese cabbies strike over disabled rivals

BEIJING (Reuters) - Taxi drivers in a central Chinese city went on strike Thursday to protest against illegal competition from physically disabled people who were using their vehicles as cabs, state media reported.

China has been hit by a wave of taxi strikes over the past year with drivers complaining about unlicensed competition, fuel prices and rising rental fees as the economy comes under strain from the global financial crisis.

The latest strike, involving hundreds of taxi drivers in Chenzhou city in Hunan province, fell exactly 20 years after the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, but there was no indication that the cabbies intended any link to the sensitive anniversary.

About 180 physically disabled people have used their vehicles to carry passengers for profit in Chenzhou, where there are nearly 1,000 licensed taxis, Xinhua news agency reported.

Taxi drivers returned to work after the city's mayor promised to stamp out the illegal business, it added.

(Reporting by Simon Rabinovitch; Editing by Sugita Katyal)