Like Tree27Likes

Why shabby taxis rule Hong Kong streets … and Uber can’t get a break

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    15,557

    Why shabby taxis rule Hong Kong streets … and Uber can’t get a break

    Why shabby taxis rule Hong Kong streets … and Uber can’t get a break | South China Morning Post

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,971

    Seriously ... fuck Uber.

    If they had any will to improve the taxis, they could have started by fixing the current batch of taxis. Some minor improvments to bring them up to standard (spot checks at the major hand off points) a modern hailing and rating system - you can scan your taxis license and figure out if the guy driving it (he'd need to check in using an app / taxi QR code + his driver code) is a fuckwit or a legit good guy.

    A lot could be done locally... don't need Uber as such to break an already broken system and call it a "fix".

    Mrs. Jones likes this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    15,557
    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    Seriously ... fuck Uber.

    If they had any will to improve the taxis, they could have started by fixing the current batch of taxis. Some minor improvments to bring them up to standard (spot checks at the major hand off points) a modern hailing and rating system - you can scan your taxis license and figure out if the guy driving it (he'd need to check in using an app / taxi QR code + his driver code) is a fuckwit or a legit good guy.

    A lot could be done locally... don't need Uber as such to break an already broken system and call it a "fix".
    Not so much about Uber, but the fact that the taxi system is so messed up here.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Manchester, UK
    Posts
    7,790

    Shri its friday today, STOP dreaming about the govt fixing stuff, just get ready for the weekend LOL

    shri and Mrs. Jones like this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,971

    Yes, but the headline says "Uber cannot get a break".

    Taxi system is messed up thanks to the power house owners like Maria Tam and others who wield influence over the Governments.

    Been reading a rather interesting article about how the likes of Uber have decimated the legit taxi trade in places like New York. Agreed, they decimated it and much of it was due to the nature of the existing license holders (not tech plays and fragmented and no will to modernise) - but we need to make HK taxis great again! And no, not going to happen.

    By the way, I do suspect that the "generic" Uber driver is not an entrepreneur - more likely to be a fleet driver in HK.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/n...taxi-uber.html


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,971
    Quote Originally Posted by chuckster007:
    Shri its friday today, STOP dreaming about the govt fixing stuff, just get ready for the weekend LOL
    Sorry lah .... may the Uber overlords be blessed with untold fortunes for they shall fix all our problems and cure cancer while they're at it.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    1,507

    No matter what people say about HK taxis, at least they don't stop you from riding for the most trivial of reasons. I'm still waiting for Uber to get back to me about an account issue and frankly I'm just going to take taxis instead.


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    11,884
    Quote Originally Posted by rickyross:
    No matter what people say about HK taxis, at least they don't stop you from riding for the most trivial of reasons. I'm still waiting for Uber to get back to me about an account issue and frankly I'm just going to take taxis instead.
    There are threads that cover taxi drivers refusing pickups based on weather, pickup location, destination, time of day, having a dog, being disabled. Just about the only reason I haven't seen is for being the wrong skin colour.

    Perhaps the /s is missing.
    TheBrit, Mat, Gatts and 3 others like this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    1,507

    If one taxi refuses you, try the next one. Pretty straightforward if you ask me...


  10. #10

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624
    Quote Originally Posted by rickyross:
    If one taxi refuses you, try the next one. Pretty straightforward if you ask me...
    I take taxi daily:
    - Price: reasonable
    - Quality of car: usually very average, on occasion abysmal, once in a blue moon you get a decent one
    - Quality of driver: 50/50 I'd say. Once in a while you get a great one, most of the time the guy just seem to never be happy
    - Quality of driving skills: Above under developed countries but below first world countries

    So it does the job ..but it aint great or anything.
    hongkong7 likes this.

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast