TD opens applications for ride-hailing service licenses under new regulatory regime

The Transport Department (TD) announced on Friday that it has officially invited platform companies to apply for ride-hailing licenses, setting an application deadline of noon on October 30.

The move follows the passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Services) Ordinance 2025 in October last year and the completed legislative scrutiny of related subsidiary regulations in mid-July. 

Most statutory provisions governing the new regulatory framework came into effect on August 3, clearing the way for authorities to formally open the licensing process. 

A government spokesperson explained that ride-hailing represents a distinct form of personalized point-to-point public transport. 

By establishing a dedicated licensing regime across platforms, vehicles, and drivers, the government aims to provide the public with safe, compliant, and reliable transportation alternatives while holding operators to strict technological, operational, and financial standards.

To be eligible, applicant companies must be registered in Hong Kong and maintain a permanent local establishment with executive staff to facilitate regulatory oversight. 

To ensure operators can handle local demand, applicants must prove an established scale of operations, including lawful service in a city with a population of at least 7.5 million and a track record of handling an average of at least 100,000 daily passenger trips across two cities. 

Financially, applicants must present three years of audited financial statements, maintain a minimum paid-up capital of HK$50 million, and hold at least HK$30 million in bank deposits alongside an active credit line of at least HK$30 million.

Applicants must also submit a comprehensive service proposal covering corporate management, due diligence mechanisms for driver-vehicle compliance, customer support, driver incentive programs, and strategies for integrating traditional taxis and recruiting taxi drivers onto their platforms.

Real-time data monitoring and five-year licenses to ensure service quality

An assessment committee featuring representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Digital Policy Office, and the Transport Department will evaluate submissions before making final recommendations to the Commissioner for Transport. 

Successful applicants will receive a license valid for up to five years, subject to an annual license fee of HK$1.2 million.

To maintain real-time oversight of operations and compliance, the Transport Department is currently developing a centralized vehicle data management system. 

Licensed platforms will be required to connect directly to this platform and transmit real-time operational data. Officials noted that this data stream will help regulators monitor market supply and demand dynamics and inform future policy adjustments. 

Authorities emphasized that strict data protection standards will apply, requiring operators to ensure secure storage and transmission of all operational records while prohibiting unauthorized commercial use or third-party data sharing without explicit user consent.

Interested companies can obtain the official invitation documents from the Transport Department website. Completed applications, accompanied by a cashier's order for the HK$16,250 application fee, must be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Transport Department Headquarters at the West Kowloon Government Offices in Yau Ma Tei before the October 30 deadline.

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