Hong Kong proposes slapping taxi drivers with demerit points for overcharging, refusing hires and other bad behaviour
- Eleven types of behaviour covered in bill will result in three, five or 10 demerit points, and 15 or more accumulated in two years will trigger suspension
- Industry representatives welcome initiative, but say government should use opportunity to crack down on illegal ride-hailing services such as Uber
But they stressed on Thursday the number of drivers who committed offences behind the wheel was a small fraction of the total and the bill, to be gazetted on Friday, should not cast a shadow over the industry.
The government should also make use of the opportunity to crack down on unlicensed car-hire services such as Uber.
“The introduction is appropriate. Bad behaviour such as overcharging should be regulated,” Chow Kwok-keung, the chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said. “But I want to stress that such drivers only make up only a small fraction. Most of our drivers are well-behaved.
“I also want the government to assist us a bit by helping to fight unlicensed services. They are the reason why the taxi industry is ageing.”
The bill includes a scheme that will slap cabbies with three, five or 10 demerit points if they violate any of 11 offences. If the driver accumulates 15 or more points within two years, he or she will be disqualified from operating a taxi for three months. Subsequent qualifications will be subjected to six months’ suspension.
Offences such as overcharging, wilfully refusing or neglecting to accept a hire will result in 10 points, while five and three will be given for acts such as an using a route other than the most direct one and refusing to carry the number of passengers requested, provided the total is within the vehicle’s capacity.
It was also proposed that taxi owners should be allowed to form a fleet to provide quality services. The taxis would be given professional fleet management under a regulated platform.
Each urban fleet would have 300 to 1,000 taxis, while a New Territories one would have 100 to 350. Each fleet must include wheelchair-accessible taxis and more luxurious vehicles that account for at least 10 per cent of the fleet.
The bill also proposes increasing the maximum passenger seating capacity of taxis from five to six, in a bid to raise competitiveness.
“It is noted that some taxi operators are currently using vehicle models with six passenger seats as taxis, but they have to carry out modifications to reduce the seating capacity so as to comply with the existing legal requirement,” a government spokesman said.
The government also proposed tougher penalties for drivers who provide illegal ride-hailing services by doubling the maximum fine for first-time offenders to HK$10,000 and raising it to HK$25,000 (US$3,195) for subsequent convictions. The vehicle licence will also be suspended for six months on the first conviction, and 12 months for additional infractions.
Spate of incidents involving Hong Kong taxis raises concerns over quality of drivers
Hong Kong recorded 3,989 traffic accidents involving 6,600 vehicles in the first quarter of the year, with taxis representing 17 per cent of the cases, the most of any form of public transport. This means at least 12 taxis, out of roughly 18,000 in total, get into an accident daily.
In the latest incident involving taxis, a 72-year-old driver drove down a staircase on Robinson Road on Monday after making a wrong turn onto the pavement.
In March, an 84-year-old taxi driver was arrested after his cab ploughed into people on King’s Road in North Point, injuring three pedestrians.
Taxi industries around the world are shrinking and ageing globally, as they lose market share to ride-hailing services such as Uber, DiDi in mainland China and Lyft in the United States.
Hong Kong has about 40,000 taxi drivers, down from roughly 46,000 in 2021.
To Sun-tong, deputy director of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, said he supported the demerit point system but believed the proposed penalties were too heavy.
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But Ben Chan Han-pan, chairman of the Legislative Council’s transport panel, said the system could create a deterrent effect and incentivise drivers to improve their service.
He suggested authorities also introduce a rewards system to provide motivation and help drivers install dashboard cameras to aid prosecution should a legal dispute arise.
Ng Kwan-shing, chairman of the Taxi Dealers and Owners Association on Friday told a radio show that including luxury vehicles in fleets would offer more business opportunities but he hoped the government could allow such drivers to charge passengers 30 per cent more to cover operation costs.
The Insurance Authority said it welcomed the proposed measures, adding it would enhance the management and driving safety of the taxi industry.
“The measures will strengthen risk management of taxis and improve taxi service quality at source, thereby reducing taxi accidents and insurance claims,” a spokesman said.
