Cabbies fight back by citing poll satisfaction

Kelly Kong

Almost 60 percent of passengers were satisfied with taxi services, according to a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Taxi Council.

That poll took in 1,200 taxi passengers, including locals and tourists, from April to May.

The results, it said, showed that about 55 percent of the respondents think that the quality of taxi services was excellent or great, while 57.2 percent said they were satisfied.

Around 7 percent weren't happy.

The average rating of 13 service quality elements was 3.42 out of five.

Passengers gave higher ratings for factors such as drivers' familiarity with routes and traffic conditions, spacious cabins with comfortable seats, and drivers' willingness to take the most efficient or a designated route proposed by passengers.

On the other hand, passengers suggested that drivers could improve their hospitality by greeting passengers and politely confirming destinations.

They also expressed a desire for the taxi sector to become more environmentally friendly, such as by using vehicles with low emissions and low energy consumption.

Passengers also said they hoped drivers would offer more proactive assistance, such as helping with wheelchairs and luggage, as well as reminding passengers to collect all their belongings before getting off.

Ben Chan Han-pan, chairman of the Legislative Council's transport panel, blamed "a small group of black sheep" for the dissatisfaction

To address the issue, he suggested the sector install closed-circuit systems in cabs, as a similar initiative in Macau had led to a more than 90 percent decrease in complaints.

Also, Chan said that he believed the launch of the fleet system this month, would reduce the number of problematic taxi drivers and improve the overall quality of services.

Frankie Yick Chi-ming, who represents the transport sector in Legco, called on the administration to increase fines and penalties for "black sheep" taxi drivers.