Taxi leader warns further action to "defend right to survive"

A taxi trade leader has threatened “further action” if the government fails to crack down on unlicensed ride-hailing services, as more companies have recently set up hire-car businesses in the city, in a letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.

The taxi trade has been railing against ride-hailing services, which remain unregulated in the city as the government is working on a regulatory framework for such platforms, including new players in the market Didi Chuxing and Alibaba’s Amap.

Cheng Hak-wo, president of the Taxi Dealers & Owners Association Limited, expressed the industry’s concern about “recent developments in the ride-hailing market and their impact on the legitimate taxi industry” in a letter on Tuesday.

He lamented that companies like Uber, Amap and Didi are competing unfairly with taxis by offering lower fares to attract customers, which have directly affected taxi drivers’ income and market share.

The industry leader said their appeals to the government have gone unanswered, leaving them feeling “frustrated and ignored.”

Cheng accused the government of turning a blind eye to the growing presence of illegal ride-hailing operations and demanded an urgent meeting and a clear and definite answer from the authorities regarding their stance on the issue.

“We call on the government to respond immediately and propose feasible solutions to protect the rights of legal taxi operators. Otherwise, we will be compelled to take further action to defend our right to survive,” Cheng wrote.

An unnamed industry insider told Sing Tao that young drivers turned to provide illegal ride hailing service just a few months after entering the taxi trade. The insider also said despite intensified crackdowns, the legitimate taxi trade remains affected.

(Jamie Liu)