Casual readers of this blog might assume that we have no interests beyond coffee and taxis. That image will not be dispelled by this post.
In the last year, we've twice noted the expansion of Pyongyang's taxi fleet on this blog (here and here). It's happened again, with a new company on the scene, sporting bigger cars and more obvious branding. The new fleet's classy crimson and gold is broken up by the white KKG logo on the side, the first taxi company to be branded so blatantly. KKG is the company that is supposedly developing a stretch of the Taedonggang waterfront.
vroom vroom.
The cars are Chinese-made Hawtai Lu Sheng E70s, a roomy sedan that is much bigger than the cars used by other taxi fleets. It appears as if the KKG taxis have literally crowded out other players: fewer of the green 'Beijing Taxis' seem to be on the streets and we were told that many had been sent to service markets in other, presumably less lucrative cities. Perhaps over the past year the limits of the Pyongyang market have been reached.
Oh...and we will post more about coffee soon, too.