Fare hike will not drive customers to Uber, says taxi industry

The chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association Chow Kwok-keung suggested that banning Uber in Hong Kong could encourage more people to take taxis and improve the industry's service quality.

Chow said he is not worried about losing business to Uber due to taxi fare hikes, as there is still a difference of over HK$10 between the flagfall rates of the two.

He said it is only the third time the industry has increased fares in the past decade, with the last hike approved by the government two years ago.

Chow is not worried that the fare hike will drive customers to the unregulated car hire service market, as those services have a minimum fare of over HK$40.

He said strengthening crackdowns on illegal car hire services can bring over 10 percent of business volume back to the taxi industry, and further boost the overall service level of the sector.

When the government reviews taxi operations and regulation of online platforms by mid-year, it should provide clear directives on how to crack down on illegal ride-hailing services, he said.

However, lawmaker Tony Tse Wai-chuen, a member of the Legislative Council’s transport panel, called on the sector to rethink why citizens opted to take an Uber instead of a taxi.

He said there were considerable complaints about the taxi industry, including deteriorating service attitudes, aging drivers, and cleanliness issues.