Evaluating taxi service in Hong Kong : does Hong Kong taxi service match passenger expectation?

Abstract

Taxi service is a popular mode of transportation in the world. Though the charges for each journey of service is comparatively higher than other transportation services, taxis can carry passengers from point to point directly and, as compared with other types of transportation, provide a more private environment. Based on the information provided by the Transport Department, the number of taxis in Hong Kong is about18,000, which included 15,100 serving urban districts, 2,800 serving the New Territories and 50 serving the Lantau Island. The introductions of transportation mobile application (APPS) fill in the service gap between the passengers’ expectation and their perception of the service. However, this is not a fair competition to the local taxi industry. The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the expectations of taxi users and the reason why the taxi service cannot meet their passenger expectations; and the perception of the people working in the taxi industry to the service.