Hong Kong taxi group aims to boost driver hospitality with university student guides after survey finds high passenger dissatisfaction
- Ten university students will help drivers improve hospitality skills to enhance services, says Ng Kwan-sing, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Council
- Campaign comes on the heels of poor survey results, with only 55 per cent of respondents saying they are satisfied with taxi rides
A leading Hong Kong taxi alliance has launched a two-month campaign aimed at improving drivers’ hospitality skills after a recent survey found passengers were less satisfied with the city’s cab services.
Ng Kwan-sing, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Council, on Thursday said the project involved 10 university students acting as ambassadors at different taxi stands across the city for three days a week.
“The campaign aims mainly to enhance communication between taxi drivers and passengers,” Ng told a radio programme, adding that a survey on service quality yielded a score that “still has room for improvement”.
According to the council’s poll, which involved 1,211 passengers in April and May, only 55 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with taxi rides, down from the 70 per cent recorded in 2019.
Only 35 per cent agreed with the statement “drivers treat passengers politely”. It received the lowest rating in the survey.
Under the campaign, which kicked off on Wednesday, the 10 ambassadors who have received training in communication skills, will be sent to busy taxi stands in areas such as The Peak, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two months, according to Ng.
They will provide kits containing brochures with information for passengers, as well as help them in finding taxis and understanding destinations and fares.
The ambassadors would also help drivers improve their hospitality skills to enhance taxi services, Ng said.
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Asked if university students were experienced enough to be giving advice on hospitality, Ng stressed their role was not to mediate any disputes or conduct surveys.
“They are there to promote politeness and enhance the interaction between drivers and passengers,” he said.
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Hong Kong’s taxi sector, which has 18,163 licensed cabs, has been under pressure in recent years due to mounting dissatisfaction with its services, as well as increased competition with online ride-hailing apps such as Uber, which has operated in the city for more than eight years.
Some passengers have expressed a preference for online ride-hailing services, saying drivers arrived at the pickup destinations faster and the cashless fare payment system was convenient. Such services are not legal without a hire-car permit.
