Radio taxi license to open for bidding within months

The “yellow taxis” will be replaced

The bidding procedure for the radio taxi operation license that will replace the former “yellow taxis” (on-call only) will be launched within the first half of 2015. The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, also hinted that there will be tougher actions taken to curb the growth of private vehicles.
Mr Rosário said, after attending a Legislative Assembly meeting, that the government will provide between 100 and 150 on-call-only radio taxi licenses for bidding. However, those taxis will have to operate under companies such as the former yellow taxi operator Vang Iek Radio Taxi.
He also revealed that 230 regular taxi licenses will expire in the next two years. The authorities are planning to provide a total of 330 regular taxi licenses for bidding in the same period. The secretary said that the government will strive to maintain the total amount of taxis on the road each day at between 1,200 and 1,300, which he said is slightly more than it used to be.
Transport Bureau director Wong Wan said that the government will use a new concession model for the future radio taxi operator. This will allow the authorities to apply clauses that cover services requests and penalties, including the termination of the license, into the contract. The director also said that he is hopeful that the amendment to the taxi regulations can be finished within the year.
Furthermore, the secretary agreed that it is very important to resolve the traffic problems in Macau and pointed out what the public has to sacrifice in the process. He said that the government is planning on revising the General Policy on Traffic and Land Transportation in Macau (2010-2020), published in 2011. Mr Rosário said that the authorities may increase the transportation costs for private-car owners in order to control the growth of the number of private cars. He has asked the public to make a choice in what it is going to sacrifice.
“In terms of [improving] the traffic, it is impossible to satisfy all parties, no matter what options [the government proposes]. I think [the traffic issue] is a serious problem and society has to make some choices. But there are pros and cons in every choice (…) bearing in mind that maintaining the current situation is also an option,” he said. JPL

Negotiations with local bus operators

Secretary Raimundo do Rosário has mentioned that the negotiations with local bus operators TCM and Transmac to replace their current concession contract, which was heavily criticized by the Commission Against Corruption, have led to talk of a new contract similar to that signed with New Era. While Mr Rosário said that the discussions with TCM are going well, the secretary claimed that the talks with Transmac are not progressing as smoothly.