The government's transport chief bowed to pressure yesterday, saying the New Territories taxi-fare cut - being introduced today - will be reviewed in a month's time.
Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said the fare reduction would be cancelled if enough drivers suffered losses.
This prompted taxi drivers' representatives to call off a 100-plus taxi vehicle protest at the Sha Tin racecourse yesterday.
'What we want to do is to help the taxi drivers to attract more earning opportunities and enhance their business,' Ms Liao said. 'We'd like to know if the income, the number of passengers and the number of trips of the taxi drivers will increase or decrease.
'If their business is adversely affected and if the survey finds that most taxi drivers are against the scheme, the fare cut would be scrapped in a month because our aim is to help the taxi drivers.'
The new fare cuts, starting at midnight today, will reduce fares by up to 25 per cent. Under the new structure, the flag fall remains at $12.50. The next seven turns of the meter will cost the usual $1.20 each before the concession begins, with meter turns then costing 90 cents each.
A questionnaire will be drafted this week in consultation with taxi associations, trade representatives and taxi drivers. The survey forms will be distributed to New Territories taxi drivers to evaluate the effects of the concessionary fare scheme in about two weeks' time. The results will be evaluated within a month.