Overcharging Hong Kong taxis back in spotlight after cabbies quote mainland Chinese tourist more than 3 times metered fare
- Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung says lawmakers will crack down on unscrupulous taxi drivers
- Cabby quotes HK$200 for ride from Lan Kwai Fong to Causeway Bay which is 5km away and should cost HK$60, according to tourist
Hong Kong’s tourism minister on Wednesday said law enforcers would crack down on unscrupulous cabbies after a mainland Chinese tourist took to social media to reveal he had been quoted up to HK$200 (US$25) – more than three times the metered fare for a taxi ride – from Central to Causeway Bay.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung was responding to a video posted on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu on Monday.
A mainland user who has more than 200,000 followers said he and his friend had been waiting for half an hour for a ride from the nightlife district of Lan Kwai Fong to Causeway Bay and were rejected by cabbies four times, with some refusing the metered fare.
“Normally, from where we are in Lan Kwai Fong to our hotel in Causeway Bay, which is 5km [3 miles] away, it will take eight minutes and cost HK$60,” he said, showing the route estimation on Google Maps.
In the video, a taxi driver rejects them saying he only took cross-harbour trips, while others have an “out of service” sign and did not stop when flagged.
Two taxi drivers they flagged down quoted them HK$200, with one lowering the fee to HK$150, which was the “cheapest he can offer” after they negotiated.
The two finally boarded a taxi, which charged them HK$100 for their trip after waiting by the roadside for more than half an hour.
The user said the video was not meant to slam cabbies but he hoped the industry could be more regulated so “mainland tourists, local Hongkongers or other foreigners could have a better experience”.
Hong Kong taxi driver arrested for allegedly overcharging police officer
On Wednesday, Yeung reiterated that overcharging passengers was illegal and should not happen to tourists or locals.
“I believe the law enforcement agencies will take appropriate action to combat cabbies who are breaking the law,” he said.
He added that most cabbies were law-abiding and he did not want the malpractice of a small group of drivers to affect the city’s overall image and its taxi sector.
Taxi drivers overcharging passengers, especially in the nightlife districts, has been a long-standing problem in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong proposes slapping taxi drivers with demerit points for bad behaviour
In July, the government introduced a bill in the Legislative Council proposing a penalty points system to punish bad behaviour by drivers.
Under the bill, offences such as overcharging, wilfully refusing or neglecting to accept a hire will result in 10 demerit points, while five will be deducted for less serious acts, such as using indirect routes.
In July, police arrested a 32-year-old taxi driver for charging an undercover officer five times the expected fare of HK$27 for a trip starting from Lan Kwai Fong.
Last year, police handled 443 complaints against taxi drivers involving overcharging, up 20 per cent from 368 cases logged in 2021.
