Mainland's Amap reminded to follow HK ride-hailing regulations

Ayra Wang

The mainland mapping and navigation service provider Amap has been reminded in a government letter to follow Hong Kong regulations after the firm launched private car ride-hailing services, causing public uproar.

Following media inquiries yesterday, the Transport and Logistics Bureau responded that only taxis and private cars with hire permits were allowed to provide personalized point-to-point transport services and a reminder letter had been issued to Amap. "The government is open to service providers using different technologies to offer ride-hailing services but relevant platforms must comply with regulations and ensure safety and rights of customers," the bureau said.

This came after Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association chairman Chow Kwok-keung slammed Amap for breaking its promise to offer only taxi-hailing services when it entered Hong Kong in May last year.

Chow criticized the mainland company for failing to respect Hong Kong laws, saying it "embarrassed the country," and urged the SAR administration to seek assistance from relevant mainland authorities.

Lawmaker Michael Luk Chung-hung urged the government to "take a more proactive approach" and submit the proposal on regulating ride-hailing services to the Legislative Council as soon as possible.

He also called on the government to contact the Ministry of Commerce to "kindly remind" Amap about its illegal operation in Hong Kong.

Lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu urged the government to increase hire car permits to balance the supply and demand for ride-hailing services.

"If the government continues to let the situation go, either Uber will monopolize the market or service providers will choose to cheat like Amap," Zhang warned.

He noted that Amap acts as an information and service integration platform rather than a direct ride-hailing service provider, which poses potential safety risks to customers.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com