Leong Veng Chai questions gov’t on taxi malpractices

Lawmaker Leong Veng Chai has questioned the government through a written enquiry on taxi malpractice.

The enquiry, dated last December 19, addresses problems related to the industry and the “bad image” of the territory that some taxi drivers are giving to visitors.

According to Leong, the continuing abuses and unlawful activities of some taxi drivers have been widely discussed across the web in mainland China with Internet users deeming Macau taxi drivers to be “secret [criminal] organization members.”

Leong raised several problems related to malpractice in the industry, including common issues such as overcharging, price negotiation and refusal to transport passengers, as well as other issues such as vehicle alterations (tires and wheels) in order to trick the meter system into giving erroneous mileage information, which forces passengers to pay a higher fare.

The lawmaker calls on the government to reinforce inspection in the industry to effectively improve driver behavior, and requests information on how the government plans to tackle the problems contained in the enquiry.