Green-taxi drivers threaten action over fares
Green-taxi drivers are threatening to take action after the government told them yesterday it would take at least a month to approve their fare adjustment application.
New Territories taxi drivers criticised the Transport Department for its slow action, which they said had already lost them business since the adoption on Sunday of a fare structure that makes red cabs the cheaper option for long-haul trips.
Sixteen New Territories taxi groups submitted an application in August to charge a higher fare for shorter distances, and a lower fare for long-haul trips - similar to what the city drivers have adopted.
Transport commissioner Alan Wong Chi-Kong said the green-taxi drivers had been debating whether to increase the starting fare by HK$1 or HK$2, from HK$13.50. They decided they would follow the original proposal of applying for a HK$2 fare rise instead, he said.
A spokesman for the 16 associations, Wong Yu-ting, called this merely an excuse.
'We submitted the proposal in August. How dare he blame a proposal made last week for his incapability in making any progress over the past four months?'
The green-taxi drivers had submitted their application five weeks after the red cabbies.
The transport chief said their plan would come up for discussion by the Legco transport panel on December 19 and for endorsement by the Transport Advisory Committee at the end of the month. He expected the Executive Council to assess the proposal early next year.
If approved, green cabbies will charge a starting fare of HK$15.50, and instead of a flat fee of HK$1.20 for every 200 metres, will charge HK$1.30 for every jump of the meter for the first 8km, and HK$1 thereafter.
But Mr Wong of the 16 taxi groups said this was not enough.
'Our survival is at stake, the drivers are very angry about that. I can see a huge protest coming; the drivers are only waiting for an organiser.'
He urged green cabbies to ignore the law and offer passengers discounts to snatch business back.
Green taxis used to be more competitive than red taxis within the New Territories, but they have lost their edge for trips that cost more than HK$150.
Green cabbies at the airport and other control points said their business had dropped up to 30 per cent over two days. A trip between the airport and Shenzhen Bay costs HK$295 in red taxis now but HK$325 in green cabs.
However, green taxis are more competitive now than the red cars on shorter trips, where fares have gone up by up to 8.5 per cent in urban taxis.
