Interview by Tony Wong
Macau Taxi Drivers Mutual Help Association President Tony Kuok Leong Son pledges that his association aims to relaunch its mobile ride-hailing app, the operation of which has been suspended for some time for a technical revamp, in June when it will also be linked to a mainland ride-hailing platform aiming to make it easier for mainland visitors to book a taxi while in Macau.
Kuok also underlined that the app will cover at least Macau’s 650 black taxis with a permanent taxi licence, pledging that his association will continue to ask more drivers in the sector to join the app.
Currently, according to official statistics, the city has about 1,500 black taxis, 650 of which have a permanent licence, while all the others have a non-permanent licence valid for eight years.
Kuok made the remarks in an interview with the Post on Monday at his association’s office near the Pak Wai Garden residential estate on Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida (荷蘭園大馬路).
After its suspension during the three-year COVID-19 pandemic from early 2020 through 2022, the app was relaunched in 2024 and was operating for a while. However, Kuok acknowledged on Monday that the app has been suspended again “for some time”, due to a technical upgrade.
Kuok said that his association was working with the app’s developer to upgrade it with the aim of further improving its functions, including linking the app’s operation with a “major” mainland ride-hailing platform.
Kuok said that the linkage aims to enable mainland visitors to book a taxi directly while in Macau through a mobile platform that they normally use in the mainland, thereby without having to download his association’s app.
According to Kuok, the ongoing upgrade also includes developing a version on WeChat Mini Programs so that mainlanders can also book a taxi covered by his association’s app through WeChat, also without having to download his association’s app.
Kuok also said that prospective passengers can book a taxi either by opting to download the app from app stores, use a mainland ride-hailing platform, or use WeChat Mini Programs.
Kuok said for the time being he could not reveal the name of the mainland platform while underling that it is a “large and major” one in the mainland.
Common taxis – as opposed to radio taxis – are colloquially known as “black taxis” (“hak dik” in Cantonese), as the colour of common taxis is black.
The city’s current radio taxi company, Macau Radio Taxi Services Limited, came into service in April 2017. Its current 300 radio taxis are not allowed to pick up those hailing a cab in the street. To use the company’s ride-hailing service, prospective passengers can phone its call centre or use its own mobile ride-hailing app.
In addition to being allowed to pick up passengers while travelling around the city, black taxis are also allowed to provide a radio taxi service.
Kuok’s association, the Macau Taxi Drivers Mutual Help Association, runs a taxi call service – 2828 3283. A few hundred of the city’s black taxis are covered by his association’s radio taxi service.
According to official statistics, Macau currently has about 1,800 taxis, comprising 300 special radio taxis and about 1,500 black taxis.
Kuok noted that as the operation of his association’s ride-hailing app has been suspended, the app has also been temporarily removed from app stores so that “smartphone users cannot find it for the time being” as owners of apps need to pay to keep them available on app stores.
Kuok said that when the app is relaunched, which he said was expected to happen in June, its name and logo would remain unchanged.
The app is simply known as “Macau Taxi”. The black-and-white logo of the app includes the words “Macau Taxi” in both the English and Chinese languages.
Meanwhile, Kuok also noted that about 250 common taxi licences will expire later this year because of which the Transport Bureau (DSAT) will need to launch a public tender for granting new licences accordingly. Kuok said he expected the new taxis to only be able to hit the road early next year after the completion of the upcoming tendering process.
Kuok also noted that the licences of 100 of the city’s 300 radio taxis will expire in September this year.
Licences of the city’s radio taxis are also valid for eight years. The licences of the other 200 radio taxis, according to the DSAT website, will expire in May 2028.
Macau Taxi Drivers Mutual Help Association President Tony Kuok Leong Son poses after Monday’s interview with the Post at his association’s office.
Two taxis drive along Avenida do Coronel Mesquita (美副將大馬路) in the peninsula on Monday. – Photos: Tony Wong
