A new mobile-based ride-hailing app has launched in the territory, coinciding with the last gasps of Uber. The new service, which according to the Macao Government Tourism Office website is fully licensed, will provide a platform for passengers to contact existing licensed taxi drivers.
According to a representative of Ying Hai Group Macau, which owns the new app, TaxiGo was established earlier this year and began operations this month – only a few days ago.
The mobile app, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play (Android), allows users to search for and request a taxi, driven by one of Macau’s traditional taxi drivers.
As opposed to Uber’s system of credit card payments, TaxiGo requires customers to pay the driver directly in cash.
The company’s representative said that the service is entirely legal, because it “connects you to a local [already] licensed taxi” and as a result, the firm has had its license to operate confirmed by MGTO.
Andrew Scott, president of the MTPA, said that he was not previously aware of TaxiGo’s existence and came into contact with the Uber rival only yesterday.
This is despite the community leader’s forewarning last week in a Times’ Letter to the Editor, that someone, “maybe sooner than we think, will fill the void created by Uber’s departure.”
“I am yet to be convinced that TaxiGo is a real company,” said Scott, shedding doubt on the newly-launched service. “I’ve never seen anybody using it [and] we don’t know if it’s viable in Macau.”
“The big advantage of Uber was that it was well-
known. A new company will take longer to get a foothold,” he added.
The app was in development as early as April 1, when a Times reporter spotted a presentation board of the service at an exhibition of student works at IPM.
Although little advertising has been conducted ahead of its launch, a promotional video introducing the service has surfaced online. The video, which is eerily reminiscent of Uber’s “plea” clip launched last month, shows licensed taxi drivers offering stellar service to customers and claiming their “passengers become [their] friends.”
The app may not become a replacement for the soon-to-exit Uber, mainly because it will employ the same drivers already operating on Macau’s streets. Consequently, there will be no increase in the number of taxi drivers and, some would argue, no incentive to reform customer service.
In any case, the MTPA president says he will stand behind TaxiGo if it can deliver an “efficient taxi system” for which he continues to campaign. DB
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