Hong Kong must legalise Uber and defuse escalating row with taxi trade

Hong Kong taxi drivers who applied for injunction orders against Occupy Central protesters in 2014 were in the news last month for staging a slow-drive protest in Central against the Uber “invasion”. It is ironic that they who once faulted the Occupy Central protesters for obstructing public areas were themselves doing the same. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their action did not win public support.

The government’s proposal for a premium taxi service will benefit the taxi companies, but not the drivers themselves or passengers. Under the scheme, the government will work with several taxi operators to issue 600 licences for premium taxis. These are taxis that are relatively new (less than six years on the road) and will offer Wi-fi connection and other services. But since the licences are owned by the taxi companies and rented out to individual drivers, it’s hard to see how it could help raise drivers’ income.