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| More Taxis at the Gate, Fewer on the Road
According to Wong Chong Hon, a local taxi driver, the business looks slack or even worse than usual. However, many people find it difficult to get a taxi in the downtown area. A passenger may have to wait for 15 to 20 minutes to be picked up after dialing for a taxi. Some taxi drivers said that they prefer waiting for people in a long queue at the Barrier Gate rather than driving around the busy districts like San Ma Lo (New Street) because of the heavy traffic jam in Macau. Wong said, "With the free shuttle bus service offered by a casino, travelers are picked up directly to the casino at the Barrier Gate. That almost snatched 15 percent of their visitors. Meanwhile, some local citizens also take these buses." Cheung Ga Hou, a local citizen who just came back to Macau, said, "I think Macau buses at the New Barrier Gate are easy to take, run relatively frequently and the fare is not expensive. I prefer walking than taking the public transport. As I know, local people prefer to dial for a taxi or walk to a casino, a hotel or some street corner nearby to take a taxi rather than waiting in a long queue." Meanwhile, some mainland travelers also take a bus at the Barrier Gate. Tong Ga Hong, a middle-aged man said, "Macau is a small city where we can visit anywhere in one day. Moreover, taking buses is more convenient in Macau." He added that he hardly took a taxi in Macau. He also expressed that the local traffic jam was so serious by comparison with the mainland. On the other hand, taxi driver groups argued that the Macau government should be more concerned with the local road construction. Wong said, "Once, there is a car accident at Outer Harbor, and the whole roadway will have a heavy traffic jam; it is a big problem to be solved in Macau." The taxi drivers expressed that they cannot promise their call station to pick up customers when there is a traffic jam on the way. Since the prices of vehicle oil keep going up, they prefer waiting for customers at the Barrier Gate, or in front of hotels, casinos, the airport and the ferry terminal. Wong said, "Driving around in downtown is not a good idea when there is a traffic jam on the way." With the coming of May Day and Macau East Asian Games, taxi drivers expressed that the Macau government should enhance its tourism service image by making a considerable effort to improve local road construction and traffic planning. |
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After
the long holiday
of
the Lunar New Year, the number of
tourists has decreased rapidly. The queue in front of the taxi station
at the New Barrier Gate is shortened.