The Hong Kong Taxi Council said on Monday that it will launch a campaign to try and improve the quality of local taxi services.

The announcement came after a recent survey by the Hang Seng University found that many passengers are dissatisfied with the attitude of cab drivers.

It interviewed over 1,200 passengers across the city between April and May, and found that while the respondents gave an average score of 3.43 out of five for cleanliness, comfort and efficiency, service quality came back with the lowest score of just 3.21.

Chairman of the council, Ryan Wong, said he believes miscommunication between passengers and taxi drivers was to blame.

"If we can better promote communication... at the time when the passengers board the car, we can ask whether we can take this route or the other way. Or the passengers can also recommend a route to ask the taxi drivers to follow, I think a lot of disputes can be resolved this way," he said.

Wong noted that the council will hire university students to distribute leaflets to passengers and drivers to promote good service and communication.

He added that a taxi service commendation scheme will be launched next month to incentivise taxi drivers to do better.