Uber here to stay in Hong Kong despite setbacks, executive declares
Ride-sharing firm says that despite being declared illegal and seeing its drivers arrested, it hopes to work with new government and move forward
Uber has no intention of pulling out of Hong Kong despite feeling the heat in recent months, one of its top executives says.
From the government branding the US car-hailing giant illegal to the arrest of its drivers, Uber’s business model has raised the ire of officials and taxi drivers who see their livelihoods under threat.
Andrew Macdonald, who manages the firm’s Asia-Pacific business from San Francisco, said on Thursday that Uber had no intention of putting the brakes on its Hong Kong operations, unlike in previous cases in Macau and Taiwan when it faced government opposition.
“With Hong Kong, its no secret we have an ongoing dialogue with the government, so that has been a challenge here,” Macdonald, general manager for Latin America and the Asia-Pacific, told the Post as the company launched an Asia-wide campaign from Hong Kong to highlight support for its drivers.
“We don’t want to exit Hong Kong. We are going to do our best to work with a new government. I am optimistic based on what I’ve heard and I think we can turn a page and move forward really positively.”