The long-awaited earthquake in Hong Kong’s taxi and ride-hailing scene is almost upon us and the questions are how big the initial shock will be, and how many aftershocks we can expect. The important thing in the coming months will be to keep the focus on protecting the interests of the travelling public. More than…
Taxi trade leader Chau Kwok-keung says he has never felt as much fear as he does now after transport minister Mable Chan set a 10,000-vehicle cap for ride-hailing service permits in May, in a bid to resolve what she called a “long-standing controversy” between traditional cabs and online service providers. Chau, a 40-year veteran of…
Two mainland Chinese ride-hailing operators in Hong Kong have backed a controversial plan to regulate the industry by capping vehicle permits at 10,000, a figure the city’s largest American business chamber considers insufficient. In submissions to the Legislative Council on Monday and in recent days, Amap and Didi Chuxing said they supported the Transport and…
Hong Kong authorities will not favour existing ride-hailing platform drivers in the allocation of such vehicle permits, citing concerns about encouraging illegal activities and difficulties in execution, the transport minister has said. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Monday also refrained from revealing whether a time frame was being planned to review the…
Hong Kong’s cap of 10,000 vehicle permits for ride-hailing services is a “prudent and safe starting point”, and the government will dynamically adjust the quota based on operational data, the city’s transport minister has said. The quota, revealed on Tuesday, prompted lawmakers to call for frequent reviews in the initial months after the scheme’s launch…
Hong Kong authorities have set a cap of 10,000 vehicles for ride-hailing service permits, marking a key step in their long-running effort to establish a regulatory framework, with applicants who have owned a private car for a certain period likely to be given priority. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday, the…
Uber has described Hong Kong’s plan to cap the number of ride-hailing vehicle licences as “unusual”, as the city enters the final stage of shaping its regulatory regime for the service. Andrew Byrne, the company’s US-based global head of public policy, was in Hong Kong on Thursday, and urged authorities to consider existing demand when…
The number of ride-hailing vehicle licences will be determined based on Hong Kong’s unique conditions and the need to maintain passenger experience, the city’s leader has said, adding that the proposed subsidiary legislation will be submitted for approval on schedule. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that a mechanism would be established…
Issuing “several thousand” licences to ride-hailing vehicles under a proposed regulatory framework will be insufficient to meet demand, a Hong Kong government transport advisory body has said, calling for a quota that will not compromise existing services. Speaking after meeting government officials on Monday, Professor Wong Sze-chun, chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee, said members…
Hong Kong should not limit the number of vehicles licensed to provide ride-hailing services. In particular, every owner of an electric vehicle that complies with the regulations should, in principle, be able to obtain one on demand by paying the required fee. Normal market forces, together with fees and other licensing requirements, will be sufficient…