How easy is it to ride with Hong Kong’s 5 premium taxi fleets? Only 1 passes test

Four out of Hong Kong’s five new premium taxi fleets failed to accept hire requests within 30 minutes in the city centre, a test by the Post has found several days after the cabs hit the streets with full licences providing ride-hailing alternatives for passengers.

The test, conducted on a weekday morning in Tsim Sha Tsui, involved five Post reporters placing orders using separate apps from the five operators – SynCab, Amigo, Big Bee, Big Boss Taxi and Joie. Only SynCab confirmed a ride after an 11-minute wait.

The other four platforms either failed to respond or repeatedly cancelled orders during the 30-minute testing window. This contrasted sharply with a separate test to get a traditional taxi or Uber, with both requiring a wait of less than one minute and offering cheaper fares than SynCab.

With the long-awaited launch of four more taxi fleets on Monday following SynCab, transport minister Mable Chan recently reiterated the government’s commitment to improve the sector while stressing that “each new thing has a transitional period”.

Premium taxis were seen by the government as part of the solution to address long-standing complaints about poor taxi service and limited electronic payment options. The new fleets are required to install in-vehicle cameras and accept e-payments.

But the Post’s test found that most fleets struggled to take instant ride orders and dispatch vehicles in a timely manner.