The Macau SAR government has announced that 10 new taxi licenses will be put up for bidding from Wednesday, under which 500 taxis will be permitted to come into operation.
According to the latest information from the Transport Bureau, Macau currently has 1,622 taxis, however it has long been considered that there is an acute shortage of taxis in the city, which severely impacts the ability of locals and tourists to travel around.
Director of the Transport Bureau, Lam Hin San, said in September that taxi licenses would be put up for tender in the near future to address these needs. This was confirmed via the announcement of the taxi license auction in the Official Gazette on Wednesday, with bidding open until 23 November.
The reserve price for each of the 10 licenses is MOP$2.5 million (US$310,000), with each license able to be applied for up to 50 taxis and valid for eight years. Only registered taxi companies are allowed to apply for the licenses.
As of 31 June 2023, there were 1,322 ordinary taxis and 300 radio taxis – those which must be booked by phone or app – in Macau.
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