Taxis and ride-hailing services are not enemies: Uber HK General Manager

Uber Hong Kong General Manager Estyn Chung said on Monday that both ride-hailing services and taxis can survive in the same place and that they are not enemies.

The government is set to notify the public of the results of the research report regarding the regulation of online ride-hailing services next month.

Chung said that they are currently striving for the legalization of ride-hailing services and pointed out that in many places, such as Singapore and Shenzhen, ride-hailing services and taxis could coexist without affecting the development of the taxi industry.

He believed that Uber and taxis are not enemies, and passengers can choose the services based on their needs, while Uber can also provide a flexible opportunity for local drivers.

The general manager said that Uber has over 10,000 drivers, but there are only 1,500 Hire Car Permits in Hong Kong, and it cannot fulfill the market's demands.

He thought that if the government set up a legal framework for riding-hailing services, Uber would be willing to cooperate, but he believed that flexibility should be given to the drivers, as they would find it hard to keep their permits for the long term if they are not planning on driving Ubers for a long time.

Chung also welcomed the establishment of the taxi fleet system and thought it could facilitate healthy competition.

The company is also willing to work with the taxi fleets to provide experience in operating software.