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LettersBeating Uber will be hard work for new Hong Kong taxi app
- In addition to having more courteous drivers, Uber has been in the mobile app game too long for Hong Kong taxis to catch up easily
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I refer to the article “Launch of eTaxi app hailed as ‘historic’ moment as trade battles Uber” (April 16). Hong Kong taxi drivers have long been complaining about the competition posed by Uber, while passengers have cited the convenience of the ride-hailing app, better-maintained vehicles and polite drivers. Now an alliance of taxi owners, drivers and other stakeholders has spent “millions of dollars” to launch the eTaxi app that will support both passengers and drivers.
The new taxi app will offer all the convenience of Uber, such as ordering cabs, checking estimated cost and choosing payment methods. Passengers can rate drivers and there’s even a hotline for complaints. Drivers will get call centre support on routes to avoid, and other monetary incentives.
However, I think Uber will still be more competitive than Hong Kong taxis. First off, Uber will be tough to beat on service standards. According to the Transport Department, there were over 11,000 complaints against taxi drivers in Hong Kong last year. In my experience, some taxi drivers have a bad attitude, and may be rude to passengers. Also, drivers are known to often refuse fares.
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Secondly, the Uber app is better developed and has been widely used in Hong Kong for a rather long time. The service has developed a wide network and has a base of committed users despite the higher fares and who might be reluctant to go back to riding taxis.
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Thirdly, Uber provides wider vehicle choices, with its array of brands and sizes. Taxi operators just provide four to five seats, apart from those that are wheelchair-accessible.
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