New green engines for Hong Kong’s iconic red taxis could give beleaguered industry a makeover
- Inchcape, sole agent for the new vehicles, says more sweeteners would benefit the environment
- Model boasts bigger interior, wheelchair-friendly door and more safety features
With the first batch of luxurious hybrid taxis hitting the city’s streets, the sole distributor of the new Toyota said the government should loosen its purse strings and provide more sweeteners for the taxi industry to upgrade to the eco-friendly vehicles as this would help boost its somewhat battered image.
In an interview with the Post, Stevie Wong, CEO of vehicle service group Inchcape, made the assertion as she said the new hybrid taxis could improve not only Hong Kong’s air quality but also the public perception of taxi drivers, with a more pleasant service experience for passengers.
Inchcape is the parent company of Crown Motors, the sole distributor for Toyota taxis in the city, which supplies more than 90 per cent of Hong Kong taxis.
“Through the new hybrid taxis, we hope to build up some positive momentum and a new way of thinking for the taxi industry to upgrade their service,” she said. “Actually, we’ve received a lot of feedback from passengers. They all praised the new ride as very comfortable, which gave a better impression of Hong Kong cabs.”
Wong spelled out the positive note in the wake of Crown Motors recently launching Toyota “Comfort Hybrid” taxis in the city and announcing its plan to phase out the existing 18,163 vehicles powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as Toyota has already ended production of the old model.
