https://www.scmp.com/rss/522651/feed The latest news and top stories on Chau Kwok-keung. As Chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, he is a prominent advocate for the city's taxi industry. He is known for opposing the lowering of the mandatory health check age for taxi drivers to 65, arguing it could lead to a driver exodus and that drivers aged 65-70 are often healthy. His responsibilities include representing the industry's interests, particularly concerning government regulations and competition from... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Hong Kong bus company boss Martin Lau feels overwhelmed as he attempts every option possible to minimise mounting losses wrought by runaway fuel prices. He has done everything he can think of, from trying to reduce services to doing his own repairs on his fleet of more than 20 coaches. Lau, managing director of ABC Touring Car Company, told the South China Morning Post that he and his team had no choice for now but to absorb the losses as there was no help he could access. “The reality is cruel,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349564/oil-crisis-just-start-economic-pain-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349564/oil-crisis-just-start-economic-pain-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:30:09 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu More than 47,000 taxi drivers have adopted the commercial version of the Octopus app or equipped their cabs with mobile card readers ahead of new electronic payment regulations taking effect in Hong Kong on Wednesday, transport authorities have said. The new measures require cab drivers to provide at least two e-payment options, as part of a broader government push to modernise the industry’s image and service quality. The Transport Department on Tuesday said three dedicated service stations at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348480/over-47000-cabbies-adopt-octopus-card-readers-ahead-e-payment-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3348480/over-47000-cabbies-adopt-octopus-card-readers-ahead-e-payment-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:05:53 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong cabbies are counting down to the end of the “keep the change” tradition as the industry prepares for a mandatory shift from cash-only payments to electronic settlements. In the weeks leading up to April 1, taxi drivers are racing to install e-payment tools, while service providers say 90 per cent of the cabbies have already adopted such solutions. Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said the transition to digital payments meant cabbies... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345811/keep-change-no-more-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-prepare-shift-e-payments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345811/keep-change-no-more-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-prepare-shift-e-payments?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung More than 40,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers have registered to accept Octopus payments, ahead of an electronic payment mandate that will take effect next month, with a sector representative urging authorities to exercise discretion during the initial phase of the roll-out. On April 1, all cabbies will be required to offer at least two electronic payment options to passengers as part of a broader plan to enhance the quality and image of taxi services. Hong Kong has about 46,000 active taxi drivers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345030/more-40000-hong-kong-cabbies-register-accept-octopus-payment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345030/more-40000-hong-kong-cabbies-register-accept-octopus-payment?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:11:37 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Only 1,300 premium taxis – one-third of the government’s target – have hit Hong Kong’s streets since the new fleets were launched in July, with industry players blaming unattractive earnings, a lack of charging facilities and competition from ride-hailing services for the slow roll-out. The Transport Department, which confirmed the figures on Wednesday, did not say whether it would revoke the licences of operators who failed to meet the government’s minimum vehicle requirements by November. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3338340/miles-go-hong-kongs-premium-taxi-roll-out-crawls-third-3500-target?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3338340/miles-go-hong-kongs-premium-taxi-roll-out-crawls-third-3500-target?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 14:39:23 +0000 Ambrose Li,Emily Hung,William Yiu Ambrose Li,Emily Hung,William Yiu Teachers should be given more training to identify serious child abuse cases, Hong Kong lawmakers and a school representative have urged, after education authorities updated guidelines that mandate reporting of suspected incidents from next year. According to an Education Bureau circular issued on Wednesday, educators, social workers, therapists and psychologists working in Hong Kong schools must make a report if they suspect that a child is suffering serious harm. The policy will come into... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3322770/hong-kong-lawmakers-urge-more-teacher-training-spot-serious-child-abuse-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3322770/hong-kong-lawmakers-urge-more-teacher-training-spot-serious-child-abuse-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:23:14 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin E-payment service provider AlipayHK will continue to waive fees for Hong Kong taxi drivers to encourage them to use its system, with the company saying the penetration rate has remained low due to cabbies’ persistent reluctance. Simon Leung, alternate chief executive of AlipayHK, said that the company had implemented several measures to boost adoption. These included enhancing the ride-hailing experience within its payment app for customers and providing drivers with QR codes that came with no... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3321351/alipayhk-extends-fee-waivers-hong-kong-cabbies-amid-e-payment-reluctance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3321351/alipayhk-extends-fee-waivers-hong-kong-cabbies-amid-e-payment-reluctance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau The Hong Kong government is facing mounting calls to put an end to delays in mandating stricter health checks for elderly cabbies, but the taxi industry has pushed back and demanded that drivers be fully subsidised for annual medical screenings. The taxi trade, under fire after a number of crashes involving cabbies in their eighties in recent years, also warned on Thursday that authorities should be prepared for a manpower crunch as more drivers, turned off by increased regulations, might quit... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3321107/hong-kong-taxi-trade-wants-subsidised-health-checks-amid-calls-tougher-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3321107/hong-kong-taxi-trade-wants-subsidised-health-checks-amid-calls-tougher-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:57:46 +0000