LEGISLATORS yesterday warned the taxi industry that services must improve if further fare increases are to be approved.
The comment came as legislators backed the Transport Advisory Committee's (TAC) recommendation to increase taxi fares by an average of 17.7 per cent from mid-November.
They specifically warned drivers against picking and choosing passengers, overcharging and increasing fares on public holidays and during typhoons.
Police have begun a crackdown on such malpractices and yesterday arrested 10 drivers for meter-tampering.
Liberal Party legislator Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee said: ''It seems that we can only express our grievances about poor taxi services whenever the taxi drivers apply for a fare increase.
''But, once we approve the fare rise, we are back to the situation where we can do little to improve services.'' Pro-China legislator Tam Yiu-chung urged the Government to monitor taxi services. Legislators endorsed the TAC recommendations given that taxi fares had not been increased since January 1992.
Under the recommended rate, the flagfall, covering the first two kilometres, would increase from $9 to $11.50 and the charge for every subsequent 200 metres would go up from 90 cents to $1. The fare increase package is expected to go to the Executive Council later this month before being tabled in the Legislative Council.