The long history of infractions by Macau taxi drivers has had a new episode. This time, passengers have accused a driver of being aggressive, according to a report by the Hong Kong Apple Daily.
The alleged victims are a Hong Kong couple and their two one- year-old children.
On Sunday, the family took a taxi from the Grand Lisboa towards the Macau Ferry Terminal.
Soon after the family entered the taxi, the driver told the couple to pay MOP200 for the ride. The couple refused. During the taxi ride to the destination, the driver reportedly said, “every Macau [taxi] driver is like this. Is this your first day taking a taxi? If you don’t have money, why do you take a taxi?”
During the ride, the driver and the couple got involved in a verbal fight, upon which the driver stopped the taxi by the roadside.
He later continued driving the passengers, and along the way, he made a phone call and informed the recipient of the call to wait at the Macau Ferry Terminal and to practice violence against the family upon their arrival.
He continued to make such threats against the couple, while driving the vehicle with constant sudden breaks and sudden turns.
When they arrived at the Ferry Terminal, the meter indicated MOP35.
However, according to the family’s allegations, the driver continued recording the family, having told the passengers he would not take the money.
He then remarked that the family should save the money in order to buy some medicine for themselves.
In the end, the driver reportedly took MOP50 from the passengers, without providing change, while cursing them.
Yes the taxi situation is yet again getting out of hand. Threats/intimidation and what I ask is DSAT doing about taxi drivers who are abusive and in blatant flagrant abuse of the law. Why is it taxi drivers lock their doors so that passengers are unable to get out. I had a friend who died in a taxi in Manila many years ago because it caught fire and he was trapped inside. They used the same techniques, locking the passenger inside.
Could this newspaper call upon DSAT for an explanation on why it is passengers are virtually held prisoners/hostage to their abusive behavior because they are unable to get out. The entire issue of taxis and bad drivers has to be tackled very seriously by DSAT. If they are unable to explain if they have any form of training of drivers on the DOs AND DONTs and simple politeness to passengers. IT CAN BE DONE but I have never read anywhere such a policy of training is put in place. This would at least serve to instill some form of CORRECT BEHAVIOUR. There are truly some truly nasty drivers out there. Macau is shooting itself in the tourism foot if MSAR continues to ignore what is clearly dangerous and abusive behavior towards passengers. Be they tourists or locals, NO ONE should suffer and any abusive behavior should be reported with DSAT actioning the complaints by the law.
The other issue with drivers and there are many who are from the mainland who do not speak Cantonese and who certainly do NOT have any knowledge of Macau’s buildings. Again how are these drivers given a license and if they have no license, how are they able to drive the general public.
DSAT, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND ADDRESS WHAT CONTINUES TO BE BAD BEHAVIOUR. PLEASE KINDLY INFORM THE PUBLIC WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT IS DOING TO PROTECT THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC.