There was nothing illegal in the award of the contract for the “supply and maintenance service of the taxi management system” by the Transport Bureau (DSAT), according to a report on an investigation issued by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC).
The anti-corruption watchdog also found that the monthly service fees and deposits charged to taxi license and permit holders by the entity awarded the contract, New Leader Tecnologia Informatica (Macau) Lda, were also legal and reasonable.
The investigation was undertaken after a group of taxi drivers voiced grievances and doubts via the media and other organisations, sparking continued discussion among the public in September 2020.
In early 2021, a group of taxi drivers was in the process of taking legal action against the taximeter company, on the accusation of “non-consensual fees.”
The group accused the company of forcing them to pay a deposit of MOP5,000, in addition to a monthly service fee of MOP300.
With CCAC receiving complaints about these charges for the intelligent terminal systems and related management issues, the bureau, according to law, ordered that an inquiry be carried out.
The CCAC asked the DSAT for the tender file information, industry consultation papers and explanatory documents relating to the contract and also heard evidence from other parties, including the complainants, DSAT staff and taxi industry representatives.
The group of taxi drivers had previously revealed that two taxis in which taximeters had been newly installed had failed government vehicle tests. The drivers were required to pay extra in order for a re-examination. In light of this occurrence, the group doubts the reliability of the new taximeter.
However, according to the recent CCAC report, New Leader, being the sole entity authorized to provide Macau taxis with the installation, maintenance, testing and calibration of the vehicle devices, had scope to charge fees, with the amounts being stipulated by the administration through exercise of powers within the scope of law under the contract.
The CCAC said that it has not yet received any concrete information from taxi drivers in relation to complaints about shifting relevant obligations by taxi license and permit holders. Neither is there any concrete information proving that some taxi license and permit holders have shifted relevant fee expenditures onto taxi drivers, according to the anti-corruption watchdog.
In relation to doubts about procedures around the awarding of contracts, the CCAC said that, after investigation, it did not find any signs that the leadership of the DSAT and relevant individuals, shareholders of member companies of New Leader (the winning bidder) or members of the administrative management bodies were relatives or otherwise had cause to recuse themselves but failed to do so.
Following the enactment of the “New Taxi Law” and the implementation of the supervisory mechanism for the terminal system for taxis in 2019, DSAT inspectors recorded zero cases of illegal taxi operation in the following year, while the Public Security Police Force (PSP) recorded fewer than 150 cases. There were 1,900 cases of overcharging throughout 2019, however, only eight were recorded the following year until December 2020. By the end of 2021, the PSP recorded less than 100 cases of illegal taxi operation throughout the year.
