November 22, 2023
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will step up law enforcement actions against illegal ride-hailing services and increase the penalties for violators, a spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said Tuesday.
The HKSAR government will move to increase the fines and the maximum term of imprisonment for offenders under a bill pending in the Legislative Council, and push to hasten its passage, the spokesman said in a statement.
TLB and Transport Department representatives met with some taxi groups on Tuesday morning and made it clear that the government will stringently enforce the law against “the use of motor vehicles for illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward”.
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“To enhance the deterrent effect, the government has proposed to increase the penalty level..under the relevant bill introduced into the Legislative Council for scrutiny in July this year, which includes increasing the maximum fine, as well as lengthening the period of suspension of vehicle licenses and the impoundment of vehicles,” the statement reads.
The government will also launch a review of existing legislation on how to deal with illegal ride-hailing services more effectively and explore the regulation of “online hire car hailing platforms”.
The spokesman reiterated that the government has long been concerned about the operating environment of local taxis, and will continue to maintain close communication with the taxi trade and listen to their views.
A group of taxi drivers had planned to go on strike in Tai Po on Wednesday but decided to temporarily cancel it due to time constraints, local media reported on Tuesday night.