A second batch of fifty new, seven-seat Honda Stepwgn taxis have been added to the city’s regular black taxi fleet, Macao Daily News reports.
According to the news outlet, the cab operator Macau Yip Kai Kou Taxi put most of the new vehicles on the road today after fulfilling the necessary government requirements. The company managed to win one of the government’s new taxi licences with a bid worth 3.76 million patacas.
All drivers of the new taxis have completed the necessary training, the operator announced. The company also pointed out that the vehicles offer multiple electronic payment methods, with five of them being barrier-free cars. (Passengers requiring the mobility taxis may book them through the company’s designated mobility hotline, 6375 0099, with an online booking service being set up later.)
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.
[See more: Opinion: Macao can forget about being an international destination until it fixes its taxi problem]
The move was intended to help the city cope with the strong demand for taxis, especially after the resurgence of tourism following the end of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Macao’s banning of ride hailing services such as Uber has only exacerbated the issue.
In May, the bureau announced the results of the tender, noting that the 10 companies selected would need to begin operating the new taxis within 10 months after receiving the notification of their accepted bids.
The first fleet of new Honda Stepwgn taxis came into operation late last month under the management of the local taxi company, Pok Tat Wai Hang.
Data from the Transport Bureau shows that there were 1,127 regular black taxis in Macao as of 30 June 2024.
