Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau mega bridge may fail to drive taxi business, cabbies say
With journeys from the bridge to the airport costing just US$5.75, some drivers say they will struggle to turn a profit
The long-awaited opening of southern China’s 55km bridge between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau is set to trigger a lucrative boost in business for many firms, but opinion among cabbies was mixed on the benefits it will bring the local taxi industry.
Some cabbies expressed a dim view of the multibillion-dollar project on Thursday morning as about 80 conducted a trial run on taxi facilities at the bridge’s Hong Kong immigration port, built on an artificial island off Lantau Island.
The trial was the third round of exercises for Hong Kong taxi drivers in preparation for the bridge’s opening, which is expected before the end of the year. According to participants, the past two rounds saw problems with insufficient shelter at taxi stands and flaws with queue ticket machines.
The massive bridge will put the three cities within an hour’s drive of one another. The cities’ governments expect it to generate substantial economic benefits by boosting the integration of the Pearl River Delta region.