Some relief could be in sight for frustrated visitors and residents in Macao, with an announcement that the government is adding up to 800 more vehicles to the city’s inadequate taxi fleet as well as paving the way for a ride hailing service.
Raymond Tam, Macao’s transport czar, made the proposal at a Legislative Assembly meeting on Monday, according to multiple media reports. A detailed timeline was not given, but it is understood that 100 new vehicles will be put on the roads in the near future, with the rest to follow, and that ride-hailing legislation will be introduced some time in 2026.
The pledge of new vehicles could bring to 2,000 the number of taxis plying Macao’s streets, although vehicles are continually being retired due to age.
Meanwhile, the belated introduction of ride hailing will hopefully rectify a long-standing embarrassment to the city, which is one of the few if not the only major urban area in the country where ride hailing is banned.
[See more: Macao can forget about being an international destination until it fixes its taxi problem]
The unavailability of ride hailing, and the general shortage of taxis, have led to unacceptably long waits at busy times and sparked criticism of Macao’s attempts to brand itself as a global tourism destination – something that experts say cannot be achieved while such a fundamental transport issue remains unresolved.
While local taxi operators already offer their own ride-hailing app, there are frequent complaints of delays and the unwillingness of drivers to take advance bookings.
Gaode, a popular Chinese map app, recently added a ride-hailing function that operates similarly to Uber or Didi, allowing users to request immediate pickup or book in advance from a participating black taxi.
However, the service is not geared to international tourists, accepting payment only via MPay, or requiring a mainland Chinese bank account for those passengers wanting to use WeChat Pay or Alipay.
