New administrative procedures amend taxi law; app not yet included

New administrative regulations amending the taxi law have been approved by the Executive Council (ExCo). They will soon enter into force, said the Secretary for Administration and Justice and spokesperson for ExCo, André Cheong, at a press conference held yesterday morning.

As the Transport Bureau (DSAT) revealed earlier this week, the amendments focus on several aspects related to the vehicles’ characteristics, as well as procedures for vehicle replacement to incentivize fleet renovation and improvements in taxi service.

Amendments have also been made to some of the licensing tender procedures; however, for the time being, no changes have been made to include or regulate the possibility of introducing mobile applications to call taxis.

Asked about the matter, DSAT director Kelvin Lam stated that discussions had begun, but there was no conclusion yet, saying authorities would continue to analyze the topic soon.

Asked also about new tenders for taxi licenses, Lam said that as soon as the new rules come into force, the authorities aim to initiate procedures for licensing under the new regulations. However, he noted that they do not have a concrete timeline for when this will happen.

The new administrative regulations for taxis take effect on the day after their publication in the government’s official gazette, which is expected within a few days.

Among the changes is the extension of the validity period for proposals submitted to tender, allowing them to be readdressed at a later stage or for multiple tenders, “according to the real needs.” Also amended is the value of the security deposit to be paid by the tender winner.

Also eliminated was the requirement for taxi engines to have an engine capacity of 1,500 cubic centimeters or above, with the new rules stating only the need to be suitable for road traffic duties in Macau.

Another change regarding vehicle specifications concerns trunk capacity, which must now accommodate at least two pieces of luggage with a combined length, width, and height of 158 centimeters.

New regulations also prohibit converting a vehicle previously used as a taxi into a private car if it was used for more than five years.