Low visitor arrivals in 2022 accounted for fewer taxi drivers fined for unlawful behavior

In a year where Macau had reduced visitor numbers due to the pandemic, authorities have nevertheless fined a total of 60 taxi drivers for unlawful behavior. The fines totaled 86,500 patacas, statistics released by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) show.

The figure represents a significant drop (-77% cases) when compared to the previous year when 262 fines were issued, with the total value amounting to 275,500 patacas.

Concurrently, the number of complaints filed against taxi drivers with the DSAT in 2022 also registered a drop compared to the previous year (-26.4%), although this drop is not so significant when compared to the reduction in the number of fines.

Still, the number of cases reported in 2022 represents an increase of 26.2% when compared year-on-year with 2020, when the total number of complaints was 455.

The same statistics also show that the “attitude of drivers” motivated the large majority of complaints (61.7%).

Although the number of fines applied to taxi drivers reached 60 in 2022, no taxi licenses were cancelled last year. In contrast, two licenses were cancelled in 2021.

In 2020, as a result of 455 complaints, six taxi driver licenses were revoked, and the number of fines reached 1,167, with the total fines amounting to 1.2 million patacas.