‘Tow it or not?’: Shirtless taxi driver’s dare ends with taxi being towed

A 53-year-old taxi driver was accused of refusing passengers and verbally abusing police officers at the Garden Road Peak Tram taxi stand on Saturday (Aug 8).

A witness, identified by Sing Tao Probe, a sister publication of The Standard, as “Ah Cheung,” alleged that the driver had rejected several passengers while occupying the front position in the taxi queue.

The witness described the area as a hotspot for taxi-related violations, claiming some drivers were charging HK$100 per passenger for trips to Victoria Peak and waiting until all four seats were filled before departing.

According to the witness, a plainclothes officer approached the driver during an enforcement operation. The driver allegedly got out of his taxi, pointed at the officer’s head and shouted obscenities.

More officers arrived as backup, but the driver allegedly continued to behave aggressively. He later removed his shirt, revealing tattoos across his chest and back, before pounding on his taxi and challenging police: “Are you going to tow it or not? Why don’t you arrest me?”

Police eventually towed the taxi.

Police said officers from the Central District Police Station Traffic Team and the Hong Kong Island Regional Traffic Formation conducted an enforcement operation near the Peak Tram station on Aug 8.

During the operation, officers found that the 53-year-old taxi driver was not displaying his taxi driver identity plate and that the taxi had safety defects.

The vehicle was towed away for a detailed examination. Police said further enforcement action would be taken based on the inspection results.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓