3,500 souped-up taxis set to take to the road

Five new taxi fleets with more than 3,500 vehicles are unveiled at a taxi fleet launching ceremony at
Transport Department Vehicle Examination Complex in Tsing Yi

Hong Kong’s first new government-approved taxi fleets were launched yesterday, offering 3,500 cabs from five operators.

The new-style taxis deliver enhanced service and digital payments, marking a milestone in reforming the industry.

The first fleet is expected to take to the road by the end of March, with the restset to be rolled out before July, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan announced at the launching ceremony.

With each fleet providing 300 to 1,000 taxis, the five fleets will account for around one-fifth of the city’s total of 18,000 cabs. Out of the 3,500 taxis, over 40 percent, approximately 1,500, will be brand new.

Each fleet will provide electric taxis, wheelchair-accessible taxis and premium taxis, to promote green transport and cater for diverse travel needs. Chan said there will be 1,900 electric taxis.

All the new taxis will provide multiple electronic payment methods for passengers’ convenience. A “triple guarantee” system, including global positioning, driving records, and driver monitoring systems will be introduced to ensure vehicle safety.

The cabs are also required to display the official certificate and plate of their taxi fleet for easy identification.

Chan emphasized that taxi drivers bear the responsibility of shaping visitors’ first impressions of Hong Kong and are intricately linked to residents’ daily lives, necessitating progress and innovation to keep pace with the times.

She said the overwhelming response to the fleet project since its launch last year reflects the industry’s readiness for innovation, calling the initiative a “milestone” in promoting smart, high-quality services.

She said she hopes that these fleets, as pioneers, will attract more drivers and taxis to join the initiative.

The five licensed operators — Big Boss Taxi Company, CMG Fleet Management, Tai Wo Management, SynCab Service, and Sino Development (International) — were selected from 15 bidders in a government tender concluded in July 2024.

The first three company’s fleets will operate exclusively on urban routes.

During the launching ceremony at the Tsing Yi Transport Department Vehicle Examination Complex, around 40 taxis, painted in distinctive colors representing their respective fleets, showcased their features.

Aaron Ng Hoi-shan, the managing director of Tai Wo Management, unveiled their new fleet “JOIE”, which is set to launch by the end of March with 800 taxis, comprising 400 luxury models, 100 wheelchair-accessible units, and 300 hybrids.

Ng highlighted that their fleet incorporates various new features such as wireless internet and a ride-hailing platform, emphasizing its superior service quality for drivers.

He mentioned the establishment of a training and assessment system within their fleet, along with the introduction of a new intelligent digital monitoring system to ensure service quality.

Furthermore, in accordance with the suggestions in the Policy Address, Ng noted that their fleet will provide information in multiple languages besides Chinese and English, including Arabic, to cater to different nationalities.

Sonia Cheng Man-yee, executive director of SynCab, stated that their fleet began trial operation in December and started accepting reservations from late-January, receiving positive feedback from passengers and drivers. Passengers can make reservations via phone hotlines or the fleet’s website and app.

Sino Development director Franky Wong Siu-pang explained that their fleet will establish a customer service center to provide 24-hour support, including a rapid complaint resolution mechanism.

CMG’s fleet, named Amigo — Spanish for “friend” — hopes to deliver an especially friendly service,  their operation manager Edward Tong explained.

The fleet will offer a mobile app covering relevant inquiries and taxi booking services.

Big Boss chief operating officer Alex Chiu explained that the fleet’s name signifies “the passenger is our big boss when they board”.

Chiu said the fleet mainly offers luxury taxis, currently numbering 30, which are more suitable for long-distance trips such as airport transfers, and come equipped with features like massage chairs and ventilated and heated seats.

At the same ceremony, Chan also mentioned that in future all taxi drivers will be required to offer at least two electronic payment options.

She said that the necessary legislative amendments are expected to be introduced in the second quarter of this year, and they will hopefully be submitted to the Legislative Council during this session.

Stephy Zhang, China Daily, Hong Kong, MDT/China Daily