Cabbies urged to exercise restraint after going undercover to bust Uber drivers themselves

Taxi drivers are urged to exercise restraint after videos circulated online showed them going undercover to hail Uber rides and then calling the police after reaching their destinations in a bid to combat illegal ride-hailing services. 

The videos have been circulating on social media since Thursday. In one video, the passenger tells the Uber driver to wait after pulling over behind a police vehicle and surprising the driver by telling him that police are now coming to bust him. 

In another similar video, the driver is told by the passenger that officers are coming to catch him the moment he pulls over. 

According to sources, the passengers are all members of a cabby group. They conducted their very own undercover operation by hailing Uber rides at seven different pick-up points and then called the police upon arriving at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. 

Responding to media inquiries, police said the operation was not conducted by them and they didn’t make any arrests or issue any court summonses after marking down the Uber drivers’ information. 

Police said the case is now being handled by the Kowloon East traffic investigation team. 

Hong Kong Taxi Council chairman Wong Cheuk-pong said the council wasn’t involved in this operation but recalled that some members did propose going undercover to bust Uber drivers on their own in previous meetings. 

Yet, Wong noted that the council never came to a conclusion on this subject considering that the court may not admit evidence adduced by non-law enforcement officers. 

Still, he hopes the government can provide stronger support in combating illegal ride-hailing services, which he said have been eroding the taxi trade for the past nine years. 

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association chair Chau Kwok-keung said the cabbies mounted their own undercover operation because they were unsatisfied with the strength of police’s law enforcement, according to his understanding. 

Chau called the cabbies to exercise restraint and contact the association for it to arrange a meeting with the police and the Transport Department as soon as possible. 

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