Govt to regulate ride-hailing services in six months

The SAR government has promised to crack down on illegal ride-hailing services with a review of the city’s legislation within six months, said representatives of the taxi industry.

Speaking on a radio program Thursday, Wong Yu-ting, chairperson of the Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association, said officials have told him in a meeting yesterday that laws would be amended within six months to regulate against unlicensed ride-hailing services.

He quoted Commissioner for Transport Angela Lee Chung-yan as saying that only taxis and vehicles with hire car permits can provide services through the online hire car-hailing platforms following the review.

Wong said authorities pledged to publish a report of the findings of the review and will discuss it with the industry and others involved. He also acknowledged the authorities’ determination to execute the plan.

He added that Hong Kong could make references to Macau in cracking down on illegal ride-hailing services, with the cabbies calling on authorities to set up a penalty system for the online platforms.