Taxi fare rise warning

LEGISLATORS warned they would block any unreasonable taxi fare rises even if the Executive Council and Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) approved proposals.

Urban and New Territories taxi operators have proposed a 17 per cent fare rise for this year.

But they are worried that legislators could delay the rises.

Four groups representing 17,000 red and green taxis met Commissioner of Transport Rafael Hui Si-yan yesterday.

Urban Taxi Drivers' Association spokesman Chan Kam-pui estimated that new fares could not be implemented before Christmas.

The spokesman for the Taxi Associations' Federation, Ng Kwok-hung, said they proposed to Mr Hui an extra $2 per trip from August until new fares were implemented.