Like them or loathe them, taxi ad screens are here to stay
Do the screens in the back of red Hong Kong taxis offer an interesting service or annoy passengers?
A pilot programme has been approved in New York to replace taxi TV screens with less invasive technology. But those in Hong Kong’s red taxis are here to stay, says the company operating them.
China’s leading in-taxi interactive media company, Touchmedia, has 50,000 screens in taxis in seven cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Qingdao and Hong Kong, and says 70 million passengers a month view them.
Touchmedia’s chief strategy officer in Hong Kong, Neil Ducray, says the systems in New York were obsolete and different to the ones in Hong Kong.
“It’s about time they were replaced – the system was very outdated. And they are not the same as what we have in Hong Kong. New York is replacing screens that are eight or nine years old with a newer, more modern system. Our screens are newer and more sophisticated, with directional speakers, are better positioned, have higher resolution, an on/off button for passengers, and more interactivity.”
Ducray says most screens in Hong Kong were installed in 2012 or 2013. They provide video content from partners such as fashion channel Elle and National Geographic.
They provide public service material such as weather reports, horoscopes, games and surveys on topical issues. They also show advertising, promotional and charity material.
