Uber Hong Kong has warned that a proposed cap of up to 15,000 ride-hailing permits could trigger a 70 per cent increase in fares and result in 40 per cent of peak-hour bookings being unsuccessful.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan stressed on Tuesday that the government did not currently have a “specific preference” regarding the quota limit, but pledged that a cap would be adopted in consideration of cabbies’ demands and the impact on the taxi industry.
In a document for Legco, the platform argued that the proposed cap cited by authorities failed to account for the growing demand for ride-hailing services and could result in a significant service gap.
“If the number of permits is capped at 15,000, we anticipate that for every 10 ride requests during peak hours, passengers may fail to secure a booking up to four times,” Uber said.
“Even when successful, waiting times could double in certain periods, while fares could soar by 70 per cent.”
