A vast majority of passengers consider the government’s plan to cap ride-hailing vehicle permits at 10,000 “very insufficient”, according to a survey by Uber, as the company attempts to challenge elements of the proposed regulatory regime. US-based Uber said on Thursday that the survey, conducted last month over six days, drew 10,009 passenger respondents, 90…
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…
Uber is investigating a complaint involving three female passengers who said they felt threatened during an early morning ride home in Hong Kong, after the driver allegedly told vulgar jokes, deviated from the original route and locked the vehicle doors when asked to drop them off. The ride-hailing company said on Monday that it was…
Hong Kong’s taxi trade has warned that 10 per cent of the cab owners in the city could soon default on vehicle mortgages as licence values plunge, with many drivers switching to the new ride-hailing regime where 10,000 permits will be issued. The market value of a taxi licence has plunged over the past two…
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…