OBSERVATION: Hong Kong’s fleet of taxis are the only form of public transportation where Octopus cards are NOT accepted in what is quickly becoming a cashless society.
SOLUTION: Provide incentives for all taxis to be equipped with Octopus readers and credit card contactless readers; usage fees could be waived or subsidized to provide a seamless payment system for tourists and commuters across the city.
Hong Kong’s trams, buses, minibuses, ferries, MTR, Light Rail, Peak Tram, and virtually all other methods of public transport systems are equipped with Octopus Card readers which offer a seamless method of cashless travel across the city — with the glaring exception of the city’s taxis.
Is it really so difficult to install Octopus readers throughout the city’s beleaguered taxi fleet in an otherwise efficient city? Recurring objections from taxi drivers have typically included complaints about fees and delays in payment associated with such systems. Provided that fees could be subsidized or perhaps waived, how many extra trips per day could a driver make in the time wasted for fumbling for change and arguing about whether or not to accept HK$500. or HK$1,000 banknotes throughout a driver’s day?
As a comparison, Singapore’s taxi fleet is equipped with credit card readers allowing them to accept several types of credit cards, despite a 10% surcharge — in addition to cash.