The government has only accepted one of three bids made for the ‘special taxi licence’ – the licensed service by which taxis can only be hailed by telephone call, online order or mobile phone application, and expects this new taxi service to be operational by 2017.
The accepted bidder – Lai Ou Taxi Service Company Ltd. – has suggested a base rate for ordering a ride of MOP15 (US$1.88), and a no-show charge of MOP5, according to the Transport Bureau after it had read the submitted bid documents yesterday.
Co-chairman of Macau-based casino operator Macau Legend Development Ltd, David Chow Kam Fai, is also the chairman of Lai Ou, public broadcaster TDM Chinese Radio reported yesterday. Chow has said that about MOP70 million would be invested in launching the special taxi service.
The Bureau, which is now assessing Lai Ou’s bid, expects to sign the contract with the successful bidder for providing the service by the second or third quarter of this year. The government plans to have no more than 100 taxis run under the ‘special taxi licence’, which carries a validity of eight years.
First batch in 2017
“We hope that it [the successful bidder] can provide the taxi service next year,” the chief of the Traffic Management Division of the Transport Bureau, Mr. Chang Cheong Hin, informed media yesterday.
The official noted that a first batch of 50 taxis to be run under the special licence have to be operational next year, with the remaining vehicles to be run within a year following the launch of this new taxi service.
According to the Bureau’s requirement, 50 per cent of the scores for assessing the candidates’ bids went to the way they intend to charge fares from the taxi passengers, while another 40 per cent was counted from the candidates’ service plans, which include the specifications of their fleet and the taxi dispatch system. Candidates’ experience in transport service only accounted for 10 per cent of the assessment scores.
The government requires the bidding operator to provide no less than five bigger taxis accessible for disabled people, and to install a global positioning system (GPS) in all of their taxis to be run under the special licence.
The failed bidders – Taxigo Company Ltd. and Radio Taxi Macau Taxi Service Ltd. – both said they have been engaged in travel agency services and have provided car leasing services for the city’s VIP gaming operators.
The bids of these two companies were rejected due to their failure to comply with the bidding rules. Radio Taxi Macau said that they would appeal the government’s rejection of the company’s bid.
Combating Uber
While the city could only expect to see taxis run under the special licence next year, the government has pledged again that it is still combating the Uber car transport service.
“Since Uber has entered Macau [in October] last year, the authorities have already declared that their operation model is illegal,” Mr. Chang told media. “Until now we’re still in ongoing combat efforts against it [Uber service],” he added. “It is clearly stated in our laws that any transport service rendered for passengers has to be approved by the government.”
The ride-sharing application Uber puts prospective passengers in touch with car drivers willing to take them where they wish to go for a fee.
Despite the government calling the ride-sharing service illegal, Uber launched a new vehicle criterion for the city – uber X – last month offering cheaper rides for passengers than their uber black service. The minimum fare for a uber X trip is MOP20, which is MOP5 cheaper than the minimum fare for a uber black service; the cancellation fee for both types of services is MOP20.
Billy Choi Wai Chan, the representative of bidder Taxigo for the special taxi licence, told Business Daily that Uber has had a “successful” reception from passengers here, indicating a strong demand for on-call taxi services.
“But Uber’s legitimacy of business is challenged here,” Mr. Choi said, “That’s why we decided to make our bid.”
The Transport Bureau has not indicated how many more special taxi licences it intends to issue in the future, saying that it would closely observe market demand.
