Can’t seem to navigate China’s mammoth city of Shanghai? Check your map, it’s probably counterfeit.
An increasing number of drivers in Shanghai are having trouble getting to their destinations when they rely on their car’s global positioning system (GPS) because many electronic maps installed are fake, the Shanghai Daily reported.
The government is aware of the problem but is at loss over how to handle it because there are no statutes on its books to deal with such a modern phenomena, the newspaper said on Thursday.
Although the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping granted eight companies the right to produce electronic navigation maps only six months ago, the number of counterfeit, and misleading, maps exceeds genuine ones.
The report did not make clear whether the companies themselves were to blame.
“Generally, a GPS device costs about 10 000 yuan [R7 840], but a fake one equipped with a counterfeit electric map can be available for several thousand yuan or even less,” said Benita Wei, from Shanghai Changxiang Computer Company, one of the eight companies producing maps.
Though the accuracy is doubtful, many buyers opt to spend less, Wei said. — AFP