Career：Taxi driver
【明報專訊】Taxis in Hong Kong
Have you noticed that there are different types of taxis running on the road? Currently, there are 18,163 taxis in Hong Kong, 15,250 of which are urban taxis (red), 2838 are New Territories taxis (green), and 75 are Lantau taxis (blue). Red cabs operate in most areas of Hong Kong, green cabs mainly operate in the New Territories, and blue cabs can only operate on Lantau Island and at Chek Lap Kok.
How can I become a taxi driver?
A taxi driver must hold a valid driving licence in order to drive a taxi and is required to display the taxi driver identity plate inside the car. Each driver needs to pass a written test. Taxi drivers need to be familiar with spots such as hospitals, tourist spots and shopping malls. They are required to identify the most direct route between the pick-up point and the destination. Are you familiar with the locations of the famous spots in Hong Kong? Try challenging your friends and see if they are qualified to be a cab driver!
■Game
(See table)
Pat is travelling with a dog from Wan Chai to Central (distance: 3.9km). Assuming that there is not a traffic jam, how much taxi fares should she pay?
(Answers on next text)
◆Meeting a celebrity in a taxi
A young Manchester City fan Braydon Bent meets Josep Guardiola (Pep, 哥迪奧拿), the manager of Manchester City, in a cab. This little fan is very excited, and Pep even offers to take a selfie with him! Take a look at this video.
■Gear up
Find a word in the above passage to complete the sentences.
(1) Without a licence and an _________ plate, one cannot drive as a taxi driver.
(2) Taxi drivers must be equipped with the ability to plan a _________.
(Answers on next text)
■Glossary
operate (v) 運作
valid (adj) 有效的
familiar (adj) 熟悉的
destination (n) 目的地
[Smarties' Power English 第281期]
