Taxi ambassadors to pump up courtesy drive

"Ambassadors" will be deployed at busy taxi stands - including at the airport and those near border checkpoints - to remind cabbies to be polite to passengers in an effort to rebuild their image, the Hong Kong Taxi Council said in a launch ceremony.

Apart from reminding drivers about the importance of politeness, ambassadors will also hand out pamphlets to remind them and passengers to respect each other.

The pamphlets will stress that drivers should not pick or refuse a fare and consult passengers if there is more than one possible route to the destination, while also politely asking passengers to stop using foul language and try to communicate in Putonghua or English if needed.

Council chairman Ryan Wong Cheuk-pong said he hopes cabbies understand the importance of courtesy and improve their communication with passengers.

"The pamphlets will remind drivers that they should respect passengers, including helping passengers in a wheelchair to board their vehicle," Wong said.

Passengers will be reminded to wear their seat belts after boarding and to not criticize the driver.

"Ambassadors will also introduce famous tourist hot spots and list out lost-and-found hotlines to make passengers feel at home," he said.

Assistant commissioner of transport Louisa Fung Wai-kwan said the government's committee on taxi service quality has rolled out a series of measures to encourage the trade to improve quality and efficiency through technology.

Her department already received 15 applications for around five taxi fleet licenses.

"That shows the industry has the determination and confidence to step up the quality of taxi services."

Transport sector lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming said the economy is rebounding slowly and the trend to spend in the mainland might have been prompted by the poor service attitude in the city.

"We rolled out this campaign to attract tourists and locals to stay in Hong Kong," Yick said. "I believe majority of drivers are providing quality service. It is only a small group of black sheep [that is hurting] the industry."

Some drivers and passengers are skeptical about the effort. One driver said: "If the passenger is polite, we will be polite. But if they are impolite, why should I be polite? The movement is useless, go teach the passengers first."

A passenger, Ms Lo, said: "I do not think it will change much. Those who used to be polite will continue to be polite, those who are not polite will not change simply because someone has reminded him."

The Transport and Logistics Bureau, meanwhile, told lawmakers that nearly 4,600 accidents involving a taxi were recorded in the past year, a 26.2 percent surge on the 3,632 cases in 2022. The number of complaints on overcharging, refusing a fare and taking an indirect route were also the highest last year compared to the past three years.

Overcharging complaints more than doubled, from 152 cases in 2022 to 340 cases last year, while complaints on refusing a fare increased 74.4 percent to 361 cases and complaints on taking an indirect route rose 45 percent to 277 cases respectively.

With the government planning to roll out taxi fleet licenses, the bureau also told lawmakers that the Transport Department will unveil a website that will list all the fleets' websites and QR codes to make it easier for passengers to search for a ride.

The bureau said it will require all taxis within a fleet to provide at least two e-payment options - one with a QR code and another that does not require a QR code, apart from the cash option.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com