Launch of Hong Kong’s newest premium taxi fleet plagued by cancellations
Reporters, lawmaker try to hail ride via JOIE app without success. Transport expert asks why premium taxis aren’t using centralised app
Newly launched premium taxi fleet JOIE is off to a bumpy start, as users faced multiple cancelled orders despite submitting requests more than an hour in advance.
All four attempts by two Post reporters to hail a ride on Tuesday morning via the newly launched JOIE app, which officially went online the previous evening, were unsuccessful.
A journey from the Legislative Council building on Tim Mei Avenue to Times Square in Causeway Bay was shown to cost HK$52 (US$6.68) for a “standard” four-seater taxi, HK$70 for a “premium” six-seater vehicle and HK$265 for a wheelchair accessible car.
Pre-orders were made for all three types at around 10am on Tuesday morning, with pickup times set at 11am or after. Users first had to pay electronically before the request was processed.
After six to 10 minutes of the app attempting to match Post reporters with a driver, a notification popped up saying: “Due to the time slot being full, your trip has been cancelled. A refund will be processed in around seven working days.”
Responding to the Post, a JOIE spokesman “sincerely apologised” that some passengers were unable to successfully book a car “during peak hours” and said payments under such circumstances would be fully refunded.