Hong Kong taxis: more action needed to stop cabbies from overcharging, industry rep and government adviser say, but they disagree over proposed penalty system
- Demerit points scheme necessary to discourage poor behaviour among drivers, government adviser Wayne Yiu says
- But industry representative Ho Chi-keung argues points system will duplicate existing punishments and put pressure on law-abiding drivers
A taxi industry representative and a government adviser on Thursday urged Hong Kong authorities to ramp up measures against cabbies who overcharged customers, but disagreed on whether a proposed demerit points system for poorly behaved drivers was an effective solution.
Taxi malpractice came under the spotlight after a mainland Chinese tourist revealed in a video posted to social media on Monday that he had been quoted up to HK$200 (US$25) – more than three times the metered fare – for a ride from Central to Causeway Bay.
The incident prompted a response from Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, who said authorities would crack down on unscrupulous cabbies.
Wayne Yiu Si-wing, a member of the Committee on Taxi Service Quality, a government-mandated advisory body, on Thursday agreed that stronger law enforcement actions were needed. He said the adoption of a demerit points scheme was necessary to deter poor behaviour among drivers.
“First, you need to be able to catch [overcharging drivers]. Repeated offences can lead to a serious maximum penalty, but some drivers haven’t been caught before or got away with it after a few attempts,” Yiu told a radio show.
Last month, the government introduced a bill to tighten regulation of the city’s private hire vehicle industry. This included the demerit points scheme, which would slap cabbies with three, five or 10 penalty points if they violated any of 11 offences.
Hong Kong taxi drivers quote mainland Chinese tourist 3 times metered fare
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 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.
If the driver accumulates 15 or more points within two years, he or she will be disqualified from operating a taxi for three months. If it happens again, they will be subjected to six months’ suspension.
Yiu, a former tourism sector lawmaker, argued the points system would establish a fair balance between the penalties imposed for first-time and repeat offenders.
He said the cumulative nature of the scheme would ensure a more equitable approach than simply relying on judicial discretion, which often resulted in lenient treatment of those committing offences for the first and second time.
But Ho Chi-keung, who leads the taxi division of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, said stepping up law enforcement measures or even increasing penalties under the current rules would be enough to weed out unscrupulous cabbies.
The points system would duplicate existing punishments and put pressure on law-abiding drivers, he said.
Ho added that some offences outlined under the government’s proposed bill, such as not using the most direct route, could be subject to the individual needs of drivers and passengers, leading to possible disputes between the two.
“If the court issues the lowest penalty, it might not be enough of a deterrent. If the court sees repeated offenders and perhaps considers suspending their licence or banning them from the industry permanently, that might be more disincentivising,” he said on the same show.
Hong Kong proposes slapping taxi drivers with demerit points for bad behaviour
Ho stressed that overcharging was “intolerable” behaviour.
“For tourists, their first point of contact with city residents besides government departments are taxi drivers, therefore the conduct of taxi drivers is important,” he said.
The mainland tourist who was quoted more than three times the metered fare has about 200,000 followers on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. He said he and his friend had waited for half an hour for a ride from Lan Kwai Fong to Causeway Bay and they were turned down by four cabbies, with some refusing the metered fare.
In the video, he said the 5km (3 mile) route usually took eight minutes and cost HK$60. Two taxi drivers they had flagged down had quoted a fee of HK$200, with one lowering it to HK$150, which was the “cheapest he could offer” after they negotiated.
The two finally boarded a taxi, which charged them HK$100 for the trip.
