Bigger sanctions for driving on ride-hailing apps like Uber ‘might not curb the illegal services in Hong Kong’
- Government wants to double fines and the length of suspensions for drivers
- Legislators variously say officials bowing to cabby pressure and failing to get with the times
Efforts to crack down on ride-hailing services such as Uber by doubling the punishments for their drivers may not have the desired effect, Hong Kong legislators said on Saturday.
The remarks came after the Transport Department proposed the beefed-up sanctions on Friday.
Uber is still outlawed in Hong Kong. While the Consumer Council has called for it to be legalised, the taxi industry has accused the government of not coming down hard enough on it.
According to the proposal tabled at the Legislative Council, the maximum fine for illegal hires – in legal jargon, illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward – would rise to HK$10,000 on first conviction, from HK$5,000. For subsequent convictions it would jump from HK$10,000 to HK$25,000.
Licence suspensions and vehicle seizures would also get longer.
