A long-awaited e-hailing taxi service is finally set to launch in Macau after the government revealed plans to amend the relevant regulations in 2026 to meet the needs of the public. However, with the imminent rollout of this policy, what are the views and expectations of the taxi trade and tourism industry towards this new measure?
The Macao SAR Government recently confirmed it would “push forward research on e-hailing taxi services, expedite the process of amending relevant regulations and establish a standardized regulatory framework”. This signifies that “e-hailing” taxis may be incorporated into the legal system, forming a new coexistence model with traditional taxis.
Tam Vai Man, Secretary for Transport and Public Works, further revealed at a Legislative Assembly meeting in November that the government plans to add 800 more taxis next year and launch e-hailing services simultaneously.
“At present, the government is conducting a consultation on the revision of taxi regulations,” Tam said. “After the consultation is completed, we will strive to formally initiate the legislative amendment process next year, creating favorable conditions for the introduction of e-hailing taxis.”
This policy trend has attracted widespread attention from the industry. Raymond Leng Sai Vai, Chairman of the Associação dos Comerciantes e Operários de Automóveis de Macau, who has long paid close attention to the operation of Macau’s taxi industry, pointed out that the launch of e-hailing will help ease the tight supply of local taxis in Macau. He stated that 100 radio taxis in Macau have withdrawn from the market due to expired licenses, coupled with a decline in the proportion of residents using traditional telephone-based taxi-booking services.
“The e-hailing taxi system can make up for the deficiencies of the existing radio-booked taxi services and provide more choices for local residents and tourists,” he stated.
Leng Sai Vai noted that the supply of taxis in Macau has always been tight, mainly because there is a lack of effective communication channels between drivers and passengers. In many cases, residents and tourists can only rely on hailing taxis on the street.
“Ordinary taxis are mostly concentrated at border checkpoints and large resort areas, while the e-hailing function can help passengers and drivers connect more efficiently and improve transportation efficiency,” he explained.
Up to now, taxis in Macau have mainly been divided into three categories. Black taxis are the main force for street-hailing, while red and blue taxis are radio-booked only. According to official statistics, there are about 1,300 black taxis, 200 red and only 100 blue in the city.
However, by October 2025, blue taxis had fully withdrawn from the market, further tightening supply. Although radio-booked taxis are equipped with exclusive mobile applications, residents still need to make reservations via phone. As such, usage habits and efficiency are not comparable to those of popular ride share platforms in mainland China or elsewhere around the globe.
As early as the middle of 2025, AMap – a well-known mainland map service provider – attempted to launch e-hailing services in Macau. Nevertheless, due to the lack of corresponding legal supervision, this service could only be carried out on a trial basis and was of a non-profit nature.
“AMap is currently running the e-hailing taxi trial in an almost non-profit manner,” Leng Sai Vai pointed out. Under the existing laws, taxi fares must comply with government-set standards and be calculated by the meter. Platforms are prohibited from collecting additional service fees or platform fees; otherwise, they will violate the law. Therefore, there are still obstacles to the commercialization of such services before the relevant laws are revised.
“As a result, AMap’s e-hailing service is a loss-making business at this stage. However, the industry expects the relevant laws to be revised as soon as possible to facilitate sustainable development,” he continued.
Traffic issues have long been a persistent problem in Macau’s urban governance. The impact of the pandemic and economic adjustments in recent years have made the government more aware of the importance of improving public transportation. With the gradual recovery of the tourism industry, e-hailing is regarded as a crucial opportunity to enhance tourists’ experience and promote the construction of a smart city.
Mainland China launched its e-hailing system on a large scale a decade ago, and it has now developed into maturity and has almost become the mainstream mode of public travel as well as the preferred choice for tourists. In contrast, as a popular tourist destination for mainland travelers, Macau has more urgent needs for transportation improvements and distinct advantages in this regard.
The tourism industry in Macau generally holds a positive attitude towards e-hailing services. Wu Keng Kuong, President of the Macau Tourism Association, stated that Macau mainly caters to independent travelers, who have extremely high requirements for transportation convenience.
“If passengers can book taxis anytime through mobile apps, it will greatly improve their travel experience and further enhance Macau’s urban image,” he said.
Although Macau was rated the most satisfying outbound travel destination for Chinese tourists in 2024, its score for transportation was relatively low. He emphasized that “improving the travel experience is a key step towards becoming a world-class tourism and leisure center.”
Andy Wu Keng Kuong, President of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, also said he hopes the government will step up efforts to promote such services to drive the development of the tourism industry.
On the other hand, Leng Sai Vai pointed out that although e-hailing taxis may not fully solve the problem of difficulty in hailing taxis for residents, it will help improve the overall transportation capacity of the taxi industry.
“The industry generally welcomes this innovative initiative and pays special attention to details such as the pricing model and service coverage,” he said.
