The new mobile application for calling taxis, included in the MPay app services, has been gathering positive feedback from users in its first days of operation.
According to several users contacted by the Times, the new service makes getting a taxi easier, particularly for those who do not speak Chinese. But there are also flaws to note.
Speaking to the Times, a local resident in his 40s who said he had used the app on two occasions already noted that “it is an easier and faster way to get a cab, as the radio taxis app is usually very unresponsive, and via the phone, it is very hard to get a taxi at most times of the day,” he noted.
On the other hand, he remarked, “It is just a shame that the whole app is in Chinese only. I believe it would not be that difficult to have an English version or at least an automatic translation function like we have in WeChat.”
Still, he remarked that once you pass the first stage of learning the app’s functionality, it becomes easier to use, even if you cannot read it, as it is pretty intuitive.
“If you know where the search field is, you just type a location (even in English or Portuguese), and the app automatically recognizes a wide range of places and landmarks,” he explained, demonstrating the process to the Times.
As explained, the app recognizes a large number of locations, hotels, restaurants, and other points of interest that users can use to search for their destination, reducing the need to communicate with the driver and overcoming the language barrier that often arises.
The app also provides immediate price information for the trip and, according to users, offers more detailed information about the vehicle and driver during the ride.
Another user noted this as a “way to easily reach the driver in case you forget something in the car, as sometimes this happens,” said a resident in her 30s.
She also noted that using the app facilitates payment (via MPay) and obtaining receipts, which she needed while on duty for her company.
One of the downsides she mentioned is that drivers can be “choosy” without consequences, unlike what happens at taxi stands or with street pickups.
“If the place you want to go isn’t very far, you might find it difficult to get any driver to accept your request,” she said, noting that this also happens in other parts of the world when using car-hailing apps such as Grab or Bolt.
For the time being, the general feedback is that the service is useful and can make life easier for locals trying to get a taxi, especially those who do not speak Chinese.
The app uses Alibaba’s Gaode Maps system, which, in a press statement, described the launch of the taxi-hailing service in Macau as part of an effort to advance integrated transportation development in the Greater Bay Area.
The company added that the service “not only enables users in Macau and mainland China to hail taxis in Macau via Gaode Maps, but also allows Macau users to hail taxis in mainland China with a single tap on their phones, achieving ‘two-way interoperability’ within a single app.”
Gaode has partnered with the first batch of Macau taxi service providers, commonly known as “black taxis,” offering digital features such as multilingual interfaces, real-time route planning, and convenient electronic payments. These aim to address common cross-border travel issues such as “difficulty in changing SIM cards,” “payment hassles,” and “communication barriers.”
Launched officially on June 17, the system supports payments with multiple e-wallets, including MPay and Alipay.
Since 2023, Gaode has rolled out the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Integrated Navigation” initiative, introducing innovative features such as lane-level navigation, AI traffic light guidance, tunnel navigation, and intersection maps in Macau, aligning with the city’s road network to enhance the driving experience.
For non-driving users, Gaode also provides an intercity public transportation service that covers all of Macau and integrates several travel methods, including buses, walking, and cycling.
Recently, the taxi industry attempted to launch a similar taxi-hailing system through the Radio Taxis app. However, it was immediately shut down by the Transport Bureau, which claimed that using the service for “black taxis” constituted an illegality.
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