Fifty brand new, seven-seater Honda Stepwgns have joined Macao’s black taxi fleet, making up the first batch of cabs to enter the city after the taxi tender’s results were announced back in May. According to the tender, up to 450 more could be following suit before too long.
Multiple local media outlets reported that the company in charge of these new taxis, Pok Tat Wai Hang, began operating 40 of them yesterday. The company won its licence with a bid valued at 3.75 million patacas.
Five of the cabs feature electric seats designed for passengers who have mobility issues. Anyone requiring this special service can book a vehicle via Pok Tat Wai Hang’s mobility hotline: 63738800, or its customer service hotline: 63736600. None of the new taxis are currently available to be booked on the MaasPlus application, though the company said it was working to get them connected.
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Each vehicle came equipped with a monitoring system that allowed the company to strategically deploy cabs to areas where there was a shortage of taxis, however.
Pok Tat Wai Hang manager Lei Wai Meng said that all the new drivers had been vetted and trained in professional ethics. Passengers can pay for rides in these Stepwgns with cash or e-payment options.
Last year, the Transport Bureau launched a public tender for 10 taxi licences that each allow a company to operate 50 regular black taxis for up to eight years. In March of this year, the bureau announced that the selected companies had to begin putting their taxis into service within ten months after receiving notification of their winning bid.
The shortage of taxis has been a major problem in Macao, especially in light of the rising number of tourists – who often have difficulty securing a cab. The problem has been exacerbated by the prohibition of ride hailing services such as Uber.
The Transport Bureau recently announced plans to launch a probe into the taxi service in Macao, evaluating the fleet’s capacity and service levels.
