又中又英｜That’ll be the day!

Readers who regularly follow this column will know I have taken many swipes at Hong Kong’s taxi drivers. To take a swipe at someone used this way means to criticize that person. Many taxi drivers are rude, and their taxis are not clean. The Hong Kong Taxi Council has started a courtesy campaign with representatives at busy taxi stands to urge drivers to be polite. It believes this can improve the taxi trade’s image. That’ll be the day! The expression “that’ll be the day!” is used when you think something is unlikely to happen.

I think it’s very hard to convince taxi drivers to improve because you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This expression means it is difficult to make people change their habits or character. Government figures prove this. They show a sharp rise last year in complaints against taxi drivers. Complaints against overcharging more than doubled to 340 last year compared with 2022. Complaints against drivers refusing to pick up passengers rose over 74 percent to 361 cases. Complaints against drivers taking an indirect route rose 45 percent to 177 cases. There were almost 4600 accidents involving taxis, a jump of over 26 percent compared with 2022.

The government plans to issue new permits for taxi fleets to improve services. Drivers in the fleet must have apps for online bookings and e-payments. I hope the taxi fleets will have cleaner vehicles and polite drivers. The taxi trade, which wants the government to ban Uber, hopes the new taxi fleets will outperform Uber. I can’t see that happening. Most Hong Kong people prefer Uber. The government should listen to the people.

恆常讀這專欄的讀者們，都會知道我已經多次批評過（taken many swipes at）香港的的士司機。To take a swipe at someone在這裏是指去批評某人。許多的士司機都是粗魯無禮，他們的的士也不乾淨。香港的士業議會開始了一個禮貌運動，派禮貌大使在繁忙的的士站，力勸司機們要有禮貌。他們相信這能改善的士業界的形象。That’ll be the day! 習語「that’ll be the day!」的意思是「哪有這樣的事！」，是當你認為某事不大可能發生時用的。

我認為，要說服的士司機們改善是很難的，因為you can’t teach an old dog new tricks——這個習語直譯是「老狗是學不會新把戲的」，意即人本性難移，要改變一個人的習慣或性格是很難的。政府的數據也能證實這點。數據顯示，上年就的士司機的投訴急劇上升。就濫收車資的投訴上年增至340宗，比2022年增加多於一倍；就的士司機拒載的投訴，升逾百分之74至361宗；投訴的士司機兜路升了百分之45，至177宗。上年有接近4600宗涉及的士的交通意外，對比2022年跳升超過百分之26。

政府計劃發行新的的士車隊牌照，以改善服務。的士車隊的司機們必須有網約程式和電子支付。我則希望的士車隊可以有更潔淨的車輛及有禮的司機。要求政府禁止Uber的的士業界，希望新車隊的表現將會勝過Uber。我就看不到會這樣發生了。大部分香港人都情願搭Uber。政府好應聆聽市民的心聲。

 
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻