Hong Kong Proposes to Regulate Online Ride-Hailing Platforms in 2025
TapTechNews July 9th news, according to the report of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) today, the Hong Kong Transport and Logistics Bureau proposes to regulate online ride-hailing platforms by means of licenses, with the goal of formulating legislative proposals in 2025. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said in an exclusive interview series of Two Years in Office on this station that the main purpose of proposing to regulate online ride-hailing is to protect the safety and rights and interests of citizens.
Lam Sai-hung said that after hearing the voices demanding the regulation of online ride-hailing platforms, the authorities have also done some research and comparisons in this regard, including the situation of online ride-hailing platforms in Shenzhen, Singapore, Japan and Australia, etc., and it will be discussed in the Legislative Council this Friday, listen to the opinions of legislators, and then understand the needs of citizens for point-to-point services, so as to plan future work and expect everyone to be patient.
The bureau said yesterday that the Transport Department will investigate the passenger demand and changes later this year, check the progress within 6 months, and it is expected to be completed within 1 year. According to the research results, then evaluate the types and numbers of vehicles and license plate requirements that can provide compliant services through the platform.
TapTechNews noticed that in 2014, after the online ride-hailing platform Uber landed in Hong Kong, it impacted the traditional taxi industry. However, currently, platforms such as Uber dispatch orders to private cars, also known as white-plate cars (non-commercial use vehicles suspected of illegally carrying passengers for profit). In May this year, a video circulated online that some taxi drivers set a trap (entrapment enforcement) to take and report Uber private cars, which triggered some discussions.
According to GDToday's report, on May 21st, the Hong Kong government officially responded by advising taxi drivers not to set a trap to catch Uber drivers by themselves, and said that the Transport and Logistics Bureau is conducting policy research on regulating online ride-hailing and will complete the preliminary research and report to the Legislative Council in July this year.