Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

A growing number of people learning to drive are experiencing increased costs from local driving schools, price increases of five to ten percent for training fees from the middle of this month, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today.
At more than ten famous driving schools in Shanghai, a price increase of between 200 and 400 yuan (US$24-48) has been charged to students from the middle of this month, with a maximum increase of 900 yuan.
At Wanguo Driving School, training fees for jeeps increased from 3,500 yuan to 3,900 yuan and for Santana sedans from 4,200 yuan to 4,600 yuan. At Shanghai Liannong Drivers' Training School, Santana training fees increased from 4,800 to 5,000 yuan.
The Jinjiang Driving School registered the highest increases for Santana sedans, from 4,500 yuan before the National Day holiday to 5,700 yuan currently.
New driving tests in October this year have driven up the costs at local driving schools by an average of two or four million yuan.
The difficulty of the new driving test has extended the learning hours from two months to about three months, said an industry analyst, adding that the surging fuel prices this year are also a burden for the local driving schools.
However, the rising training fees have not deterred locals from learning to drive.
A total of 130,400 people in Shanghai learned to drive in 2001. That number has increased steadily (153,900 in 2002 and 197,000 in 2003). The number is expected to reach 250,000 this year.
"Although the existing training fees are decided by the market itself, we will put a lid on unreasonable charges and price increases," said a spokesman with the Shanghai Land Transportation Administration Office.