Undercover Hong Kong police officers arrest taxi driver who allegedly charged HK$300 for HK$70 ride in crackdown on cabbies preying on mainland Chinese tourists
- Operation is part of campaign over ‘golden week’ period to ensure public safety as tourists converge on city
- Suspect in question also arrested over failure to display driver identity plate
Undercover police officers posing as partygoers in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong nightlife hub arrested a taxi driver for allegedly charging them HK$300 (US$38) for a HK$70 journey, the force revealed on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old man was one of two taxi drivers detained by police over the past two days in a crackdown on unscrupulous cabbies who mostly target mainland Chinese tourists during the Labour Day “golden week” break.
Two undercover officers flagged down the suspect’s taxi on Wyndham Street in Central for a 6km (3.7 miles) trip to Happy Valley just before 1am on Sunday.
“After reaching the destination and paying the marked-up fare, officers identified themselves and arrested the driver,” a source familiar with the case said.
The man was detained on suspicion of overcharging, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.
He was also arrested on suspicion of failing to activate his fare indicator and not displaying his driver identity plate on the dashboard.
The Post learned that the man was a repeat offender who had overcharged other passengers.
“Not displaying a driver identity plate is a popular tactic by unscrupulous taxi drivers in case of any complaint against them,” the source said.