Uber plans to officially close down its business in Macau on Sep. 9 according to a statement signed by Asia-based Uber executives.

The statement was signed by Uber’s regional general manager in Asia Mike Brown and the company’s regional public policy director in Asia Damian Kassabgi. The statement said that the company plans to stop its service in Macau because the government still has no time table for authorizing ride-sharing services and doling heavy fines to Uber drivers.

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According to Uber, local police authorities have collected over 10 million patacas ($1.2 million) in fines from over 300 Uber drivers in the past 10 months, according to Reuters. The global ride-hailing giant stated that it had hired over 2,000 full-time and part-time drivers in Macau, contributing over 21 million patacas ($2.6 million) in terms of economic benefits since it started operating in the city. 

More than 90 percent residents of Macau support Uber because it offers better transport choices. Uber attempted to talk with Macau's transport authority but gained no positive response, and its petition to the city's chief executive on Aug. 16 also received no response.

“We are committed to continuing to serve the riders and drivers of Macau. We continue to seek opportunities to work with the government on modern ridesharing regulations that will give us the chance to keep serving the people of Macau,” Uber‘s Macau General Manager Tracy Lou Walsh said in a statement.

The American car-hailing app has become popular in Macau, where taxis are in short supply. Since Uber landed in Macau in October last year, the company was deemed illegal by the Public Security Police Force because of the lack of operating licenses, South China Morning Post.

TagsUber, Macau, Uber Macau, china, Hong Kong, global ride-hailing giant, online ride hailing service, online trasportation