The Macao government has selected 14 winning companies to operate up to 700 new common taxis across the city.
Macao awards new common taxi licences following public tender
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The Transport Bureau has officially announced the results of its public tender for 14 new 8-year company licences, allowing operators to introduce up to 700 new black taxis to the city’s roads.
The bidding process for these Macao common taxi licences drew 47 submissions after launching on 3 June, with officials unsealing the proposals on 9 July, Macau Post Daily reports. Following an evaluation of validity and eligibility, 46 bids were accepted and one was rejected.
The prices offered by the 14 winning companies ranged between 5.1 million patacas (US$637,500) and 6.03 million patacas. Under taxi sector regulations introduced in June 2019, only locally registered companies with a minimum capital of 5 million patacas are permitted to bid, and a single company may operate up to 300 vehicles.
Macao common taxi licences: conditions
The winning companies are required to deploy hybrid or new energy vehicles with a seating capacity of six or more passengers, ensure all vehicles accept electronic payments, and provide at least two wheelchair-accessible taxis per fleet of 50 vehicles. The government expects these new vehicles to hit the roads during the second and third quarters of next year, Macau Post Daily says.
This marks the second tender since the 2019 law took effect, following a previous 2023 tender that granted 10 licences covering 500 black taxis in total, which entered service after late 2024. According to latest data from the Transport Bureau website, the city finished the second quarter of this year with a total of 1,503 taxis in service, comprising 1,303 common taxis and 200 special taxis.
City authorities have been making efforts to expand the local taxi fleet following years of complaints that the number of vehicles was insufficient to meet demand, especially at peak times and on public holidays.
