Dodgy Hong Kong taxi drivers targeted in fare sting after police catch one charging HK$100 for a 1km journey – more than four times amount it should cost
- Officers cracking down on city’s unscrupulous cabbies who they say operate in entertainment and shopping districts
- Force identifies The Peak Tram terminal, Lan Kwai Fong and Tsim Sha Tsui as problem areas
Undercover policemen posing as partygoers in the Lan Kwai Fong entertainment district of Hong Kong arrested a taxi driver on Friday for charging them HK$100 for a 1km journey – more than four times the amount it should cost.
The officers flagged down the 49-year-old male driver on D’Aguilar Street in Central for the short trip to the Holiday Inn Express Hong Kong SoHo in Jervois Street, Sheung Wan at about 1am.
“Before boarding the taxi, the driver told the undercover agents the fare was HK$100,” a police spokesman said. Police said the usual amount for such a journey was HK$24.
After reaching the hotel and paying the fare, the officers identified themselves and arrested the driver for overcharging, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.
The man was later released on bail pending further investigation.
Lan Kwai Fong, The Peak Tram terminal in Central, and the shopping areas in Tsim Sha Tsui are among other tourist destinations where some unscrupulous taxi drivers operate, according to a police source.
Police said they were very concerned about taxi driver malpractice, and officers would continue to carry out enforcement action to fight such activities, the force said.
“While encountering such illegal activities, members of the public should note down information such as the time, location, taxi registration number and name of the taxi driver, and then lodge complaints with the police,” the spokesman said.
Figures from the Transport Complaints Unit show there were 2,851 complaints regarding taxi services in the fourth quarter of last year. Overcharging accounted for 451 complaints. The others included improper driving behaviour, taximeter irregularities, and failure to take the most direct route.
