Hong Kong food truck scheme may be reaching end of the road, as city’s commerce minister says its has limited room to grow
- Government refusing to rule out ditching programme when it expires early next year
- Operators have struggled to make ends meet during coronavirus pandemic, with many handing their licences back
Hong Kong’s struggling food trucks may soon be taken off the road after more than four years in service, with the government refusing to rule out ditching the scheme when it expires early next year.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah on Wednesday admitted the troubled programme might not survive a government review of its effectiveness during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Food trucks as a tourism facility in Hong Kong have limited room for development,” he told lawmakers. “The Tourism Commission is critically reviewing the data and the effectiveness of the scheme so as to determine its way forward, and does not rule out the possibility of bringing the scheme to an end eventually.”
Former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah floated the food truck idea in 2015. It was touted as a way to spice up the city’s street-food scene and boost tourism.
The scheme was eventually launched amid much fanfare in February 2017, with 15 trucks selling a variety of easy-to-eat snacks and light meals, such as pineapple buns, fried noodles and salads.