Faulty devices, low battery: some taxi drivers cook up excuses to avoid e-payments
‘Cash is king’ mentality persists, experts say, as some cabbies fear income trail will lead to taxation or loss of eligibility for public housing
Some passengers have been unable to use any e-payment options in Hong Kong taxis, with drivers blaming faulty machines or battery problems, but customers view these as excuses because the “cash is king” mentality persists.
Experts said many taxi drivers still held a deep-seated fear of having a traceable income record, which could lead to taxation or the loss of eligibility for public housing.
Lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung told the South China Morning Post that many passengers had complained to him since the law mandating electronic payment options took effect on April 1, saying they had encountered a slew of excuses from drivers claiming they could not offer the service.
“I noticed some drivers have e-payment machines in their bags, but they keep them hidden away, only bringing them out when asked, at which point they use excuses like no battery, not knowing how to use them, or saying the machine is broken, et cetera, to turn customers away,” Chong said on Tuesday.
All 47,000 drivers of the city’s 18,000 taxis must offer at least a QR code option and an alternative e-payment method to cater to different passenger needs. Those who fail to comply face a HK$5,000 (US$640) fine and up to six months’ imprisonment.
Lai Chin-pang, 43, who works at an advertising agency, said his experience of using e-payments for taxi rides was “mostly pleasant” in the past two weeks, despite being asked to pay in cash a few times.