Street Talk: Doris Leung, Diamond Cab founder
Doris Leung is the founder and CEO of Diamond Cab, a social venture dedicated to helping wheelchair-bound people get around the city. She tells Adrienne Chum about the inspiration behind the company, tricking out her taxis and singing karaoke with customers.
HK Magazine: What inspired you to start Diamond Cab?
Doris Leung: My mom. She couldn’t move on her own, so had to be carried into a car. I discovered that lots of people used regular taxis, NGO buses and illegal vans meant for supply transport but modified to carry a wheelchair, which often operate without a license.
HK: Why’d you choose to focus on taxis?
DL: At the time, there really weren’t many options for wheelchair-bound people. Taxis seemed like the most workable solution: they have the most licenses for public transport, and run from one specific point to another, just like a private car. So I finally decided that the taxi industry needed a change.
HK: On average, how many customers does Diamond Cab get a day?
DL: Right now we have five cars, and a sixth that’s being repaired. Each car gets an average of 13 orders every day. The drivers depend on this job to pay their bills, so they also accept regular street customers and charge the usual meter amount.
HK: What’s so special about the cabs?
DL: They are made in Japan, where there’s an aging population, and specifically made for this market. After the car arrives we just change some of the features so it’s like a Hong Kong taxi: We paint it red and add a meter, cash box and light. Otherwise, everything else is the original design from Japan. The government was okay with it, because we didn’t modify the original design too much.
