Frustrated local commuters and tourists are going to have to wait longer for relief from Macao’s taxi shortage, with delays hampering the longed-for arrival of up to 500 new taxis on the city’s streets.
According to a Transport Bureau statement cited by the Macau Daily Times, some 219 new taxis will be rolled out any day now, with roughly 200 more to follow by January.
However, Tony Kuok of the Taxis Mutual Aid Association told the Times that approximately 200 existing taxi licences would expire by the end of the year, reducing the overall enlargement of Macao’s already insufficient taxi fleet.
[See more: Opinion: Macao can forget about being an international destination until it fixes its taxi problem]
Transport officials have acknowledged that the net number of taxis taking to the roads is uncertain due to existing licence expirations.
Last October, the Transport Bureau arranged a public tender for 10 taxi licences, with each one allowing the holder to operate up to 50 taxis for a period of 8 years, but the benefits have largely to be felt by taxi users, and ride-hailing services like Uber remain banned in the city.
Figures from the bureau show that there were 1,127 regular black taxis in Macao as of 30 June 2024. The number is far from sufficient to meet demand, leading to long frustrating waits for cabs and frequent complaints from locals and tourists.
