100 yellow cab substitutes to hit the road

The Macau government has decided to collaborate with two local taxi associations – “Associação dos Comerciantes e Operários de Automóveis de Macau” and the Macau Taxi Driver Mutual Association – to provide a “dial-a-cab” service, with 100 black taxis replacing the Vang Iek Radio Taxi (yellow taxis).
During his visit to the associations and their radio stations on Monday, the head of the Transport Bureau (DSAT) department of traffic management, Lo Seng Chi, said that the authority is now using administrative measures to speed up the approval process for new black taxi licenses. He said that among the 200 new licenses that were issued this year, 20 are already in operation. He expected that an extra 50 would be on the road by the end of November and another 50 by the end of the year. The remainder will also hit the streets before the end of January next year.
Raymond Leng, chairman of “Associação dos Comerciantes e Operários de Automóveis de Macau,” said that his association and its taxi radio are experienced in providing dial-a-cab services.
“Our radio was established in 1994. Therefore, our [taxi] radio is not of a lesser quality than other radio stations,” he said.
“Our station used to provide services to only our members and their families. But at this moment of great urgency, and with the request from DSAT, we would provide our assistance,” he said. “There will be 200 more taxis entering the market and at least 100 of them have already joined our station,” he added.
Mr Leng said that his association’s radio station is able to handle, on average, 400 to 500 orders per day for dial-a-cab services, and is capable of serving more than 1,000 taxis.
Meanwhile, the Macau Taxi Driver Mutual Association president Kuok Leong Son believes that the taxis that provide dial-a-cab services should be able to charge an additional fee of no less than MOP10 per fare.  JPL