Hong Kong to ‘actively encourage’ taxis to go for digital payments

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said on Wednesday that authorities consider it more appropriate to continue to actively encourage taxis to introduce e-payment methods at this stage, instead of enacting legislation to make it mandatory.

Lam’s comments came after lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun asked in a written inquiry, addressed to the transport chief, if authorities have plans to mandate taxis to provide electronic payment services, with such payment method a development trend in various countries and is in line with Hong Kong's objectives of building a smart city and enhancing the experience of tourists.

Tien also criticized that the progress of installing electronic payment systems in taxis has been slow over the years even with a number of electronic payment platforms available in Hong Kong.

In response, Lam said the SAR government has been encouraging the taxi trade to introduce different e-payment methods to facilitate payment of fares by passengers.

He said the government has earlier reviewed the overall taxi operation and management, and proposed a series of measures to enhance personalized point-to-point transport services.

These measures include introducing a taxi fleet regime, under which existing taxi owners may assemble taxis to form a fleet and apply to the Transport Department for a Taxi Fleet Licence to provide quality taxi services through professional fleet management under a regulated platform.

Lam said under the proposed taxi fleet regime, all fleet taxis must provide e-payment methods, which he said will set a leading and exemplary role in the trade, and will help further encourage more taxi drivers to introduce e-payment methods so that passengers will have more choices in fare payment.

The transport chief added that the government will continue to communicate with the operators of different e-payment systems with a view to promoting the adoption of e-payment methods among the taxi trade, so as to facilitate payment of fares by passengers.