The Macau government will commence a study into regulating ride-hailing services after acknowledging that some neighboring regions are currently in the process of updating their respective legal frameworks.
The long-awaited update comes after Hong Kong indicated recently that it will introduce legislation to regulate the use of ride-hailing services, likely within this year. Until now there has been no such arrangement in Macau.
Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) member Leong Sun Iok recently raised a question to the government around this issue, stating that as a city of tourism, Macau should promote the provision of ride-hailing services as an alternative to the city’s 1,000 existing taxis.
“At present, Macau [black] cabs generally can only pick up passengers through roadside stops and telephone calls, and under such circumstances it is difficult for residents to intercept cabs,” he said.
In response, the Macau Transport Bureau (DSAT) said it was exploring the number of special cabs to increase the likelihood of successfully calling a taxi and would listen to the views of the community.
“DSAT will continue to pay attention to the relevant supporting work, such as updating the laws on ride-hailing services in neighboring regions and commence the study in a timely manner,” it said.
Global ride-sharing service Uber previously attempted to enter the Macau market in 2015 but encountered numerous challenges, including drivers accumulating millions of dollars in fines for operating an illegal service. Uber was eventually forced to suspend its service in 2017.
