Michael Shum
Taxi industry representatives said promises of a large-scale crackdown on unlicensed ride-hailing services led them to cancel a three-hour strike set for yesterday by hundreds of drivers.
Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association chairman Wong Yue-ting told a radio program they got word from the government on Tuesday that it will come up with “feasible proposals” by a mid-December meeting to clamp down on illegal ride-hailing.
”The government also promised it will take part in a large-scale law-enforcement operation, while the number of drivers arrested for illegal car-hire services will not be small,” Wong said.
”We originally thought they were again trying to procrastinate after hearing their response in the meeting [on Tuesday morning], but their response at night made us cancel our strike.”
If the government only increases penalties without concrete law enforcement, it won’t improve the situation, Wong said. He added: “A strike is not beneficial to citizens, taxi owners, and drivers. The taxi trade does not hope to air our grievances through staging a strike, so we hope the government can step up against unlicensed car-hiring services.”
He also said their strike does not require a no-objection letter from police as they were just parking their vehicles in a car park.
On another radio program, Chow Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said the strike was canceled due to the olive branch extended by the government.
Officials have vowed to involve the industry more in the process of tackling such services, according to Chow.
”The Transport and Logistics Bureau called again, saying that they will be more committed [to ban illegal ride-hailing services] and will also hold another meeting between us and the police in hopes of us canceling the strike,” Chow said.
”If the government is really giving [confident on what it will do], the taxi trade can give it a little more time. After all, we have already been tolerating [illegal ride-hailing services] for nine years.”
Chow also proposed to the government to increase the number of cross-harbor taxi stations on Hong Kong Island, as well as installing cameras and navigation equipment in cabs to prevent drivers from taking detours and overcharging passengers.
Lawmaker Ben Chan Han-pan, chairman of the Legislative Council’s transport panel, said Legco has already scrutinized the amendments to a bill aimed at combating “illegal carriage of passengers for reward.”
He added: “The bill is being prepared for its third reading and is expected to be passed within this year.”
After amendments, the penalty for illegal ride-hailing will see offenders have their car detained for half a year with the driver imprisoned for a year, he said.
Also the offense points system will penalize drivers with demerit points, which might lead to a suspension of license.
”Illegal ride-hailing services are against the law. The government has to protect the interests of passengers and the taxi trade,” Chan said.
He suggested the government set up a centralized system to store data from taxi drivers’ dashboard cameras so that authorities can check footage once a complaint is received.
michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com
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