Macao’s taxi sector wants the government to provide drivers with further details on when they can expect to begin operating the 500 additional cabs that were approved as part of the Transport Bureau’s taxi licence tender.
The tender process which was launched late last year in response to the city’s chronic taxi shortage, with the bureau pledging to have the first batch of taxis on the road in 2024, TDM reports. However, the head of the Macao Taxi Driver Mutual Association, Tony Kuok, says the taxi sector has yet to receive any details.
He warned in an interview with the local broadcaster that 180 taxis will be taken out of service this year, potentially worsening the city’s transport woes.
[See more: Macao can forget about being an international destination until it fixes its taxi problem]
“The ageing vehicles will reach their expiry date [this year], so there will be no taxis [for some drivers] to drive,” he said. “The frustration is that the government has not given specific details [about the issuing of new licences].”
Irate tourists and residents shouldn’t expect the cab shortage to be alleviated any time soon. Kuok said that many of the taxi companies that won the bidding process had not begun recruiting new drivers or making preparations for the operation for the new licences.
According to official data, there were just 1,220 regular taxis in the city as of 31 December 2023. The number appears to be far from adequate for a busy tourist destination like Macao, with long waits for taxis commonplace. A ban on ride-hailing apps like Uber has caused additional aggravation.
