Taxi
Note: Taxis running in the city are red in colour, while those in the New Territories are in green and blue in Lantau Island. Only the red taxi can go anywhere, while the green and blue taxi can run within their own boundaries. It is offensed to law, if the taxi driver fails to drive you to the destinations. Please dropped down the taxi number, the driver's name (a name plate in front), date & time, then and make complaints to the Transportation Dept. But if you jumped on a green or blue taxi and requested to go beyond their territories, then they can refused to go.
If you are intending to go somewhere slightly off the beaten tourist track, have your concierge (or some helpful locals) write your destination in Chinese. Most drivers are familiar with the English names of the main attractions, but you could find yourself speaking into the radio to base for a translation!
A good thing to remember is that the Star Ferry Terminal is roughly "Teen Sing Ma Tow" in Cantonese. Roughly. This major landmark is within easy walking distance of the MTR and major hotels.
It is safer to wait at a rank. Try to wait at a hotel rank if you can, as the staff keep queue jumping to a minimum. Queue jumping is very common and at peak times, it's every man, woman or child for themselves!
Some taxis on Hong Kong Island are "Kowloon taxis". That is, they won't accept fares around Hong Kong, they only take people from Hong Kong to Kowloon and vice versa. If you get in a taxi and the driver keeps saying "Kowloon, Kowloon," to you, this is what he is talking about.
Tipping is not necessary beyond rounding up to the nearest dollar.
Even if you are a guest at a five-star hotel, you can never tell if there is a long taxi queue in front of the hotel entrance. So, if you have a very important meeting or have a plane to catch, you may want to make just one call instead of relying purely on your luck!
Call the Transport Complaints Unit Hotline at 2889-9999.
