The Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday passed a government-initiated bill regulating the city’s taxi sector, according to which cabbies caught refusing to pick up passengers or overcharging four times within five years will have their taxi-driving licences cancelled.

The bill will become law 90 days after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO).

According to the new taxi law, only companies will be allowed to bid for a licence to operate common taxis, as opposed to the current situation in which common taxi-vehicle licences are granted to both individuals and companies. Common taxis – as opposed to special radio taxis – are colloquially known as “black taxis” (“hak dik” in Cantonese).

According to the new taxi law, the fines for various taxi violations will significantly increase, such as for refusing to pick up passengers and overcharging.

The bill’s outline was passed during a plenary session of the legislature in April last year. The legislature’s 3rd Standing Committee held 27 meetings to review the bill, which aims to improve the service quality provided by taxi drivers and tackle the long-standing irregularities in the city’s taxi sector caused by rogue cabbies.

Lack of civility
Local and tourists alike are complaining that a fairly large number of taxi drivers are not only violating the most basic rules of civility and decent behaviour but are also severely damaging Macau’s image as a world centre of tourism and leisure.

Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario, Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Kelvin Lam Hin San and Ma Chio Hong, a senior officer of the Traffic Department of the Public Security Police (PSP), attended yesterday’s plenary session when the bill was voted on article-by-article in its final reading.

The government launched a public consultation in 2014 on the drafting of a new law regulating the city’s taxi sector, with the aim of replacing the existing taxi regulation which came into force in late 1999, i.e. shortly before the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).

Taxi vehicle licence owners and taxi drivers face a fine of between 300 and 25,000 patacas for violating different rules listed in the existing taxi regulation.

According to the existing regulation, a taxi driver faces a fine of 1,000 patacas for committing violations
such as refusing to pick up passengers, overcharging, smoking in the vehicle while transporting passengers, and jumping the queue to pick up passengers at taxi ranks.

Under the existing regulation, a driver who provides unlicensed passenger transport services faces a fine of 25,000 patacas.

According to the existing regulation, those without a taxi-driving licence who drive a taxi face a fine of 5,000 patacas.

Steeper fines
According to the new taxi law, taxi drivers will face a fine of between 600 and 30,000 patacas for violating various rules. Under the new law, cabbies refusing to pick up passengers will be fined 3,000 patacas.

Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário speaks during yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle about the new taxi law. Courtesy: TDM

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