Taxi drop-off points make services more point to point

The Transport Department will designate at 10 am tomorrow (Friday) five taxi drop-off points within busy clearways to facilitate the provision of point to point taxi services and to give taxi passengers more convenience.

The five taxi drop-off points are located at Percival Street in Causeway Bay, Ferry Street in Yau Ma Tei, Hing Ning Road outside Metroplaza in Kwai Fong, Tuen Hi Road outside Tuen Mun Town Plaza in Tuen Mun, as well as outside Long Ping Estate in Yuen Long.

At taxi drop-off points, taxi drivers will be allowed to set down passengers during the clearway restriction period.

However, to minimise the impact on traffic, taxi drivers will be prohibited to pick up passengers at taxi drop-off points.

Unveiling details of the scheme at a press briefing today (Thursday), the Assistant Commissioner for Transport, Mr Li Shu-ming, said the department had been searching for suitable locations as taxi drop-off points and had carefully chosen five locations for the scheme.

He said: "As we all know, an important feature of taxi services is: they can provide 'direct and convenient' services to the passengers.

"Hitherto, we do not allow loading and unloading activities at clearways for traffic management reasons.

"To facilitate taxi drivers to provide direct and convenient passenger services, we have been looking for locations where the setting up of taxi drop-off points will not cause inconvenience or obstruction to other road users."

Mr Li highlighted that in selecting suitable sites, considerations had been given to locations where two or more traffic lanes were available so that at least one lane on the far side would be provided to other traffic to pass the taxi drop-off point.

Moreover, locations close to or at the fringe of commercial or shopping areas will also be considered. In this regard, a taxi drop-off point can give passengers an alternative of not entering the busy area. This, in turn, will cut short the journey time and distance, and also help reduce congestion in that busy area.

Mr Li said: "In some cases, a taxi drop-off point can be provided at the front end of a taxi stand so that taxi drivers can set down passengers thereat without spending extra time to queue at a fully packed taxi stand."

Preference will be given to locations where laybys are available to accommodate taxi drop-off points.

"We believe the introduction of taxi drop-off points will further improve the quality of taxi services and will give passengers more convenience," Mr Li said.

"The effectiveness of the scheme will be reviewed in due course. If the scheme works satisfactorily and is accepted by both taxi drivers and passengers, it will be extended to other parts of Hong Kong."

Special traffic signs and road marks indicating the locations and extent of the taxi drop-off points, and the restriction of use by taxis only, will be put up.

Thursday, January 13, 2000