Hong Kong taxi group halts strike plan after city’s leader warned against ‘drastic action’
Hong Kong Free Press
A Hong Kong taxi union has called off a planned strike demanding a government crackdown on unlicensed ride-hailing services – a day after Chief Executive John Lee warned that “drastic action” would not receive public support.
The Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association made the announcement on Wednesday after industry representatives met with the Transport Advisory Committee in the morning.
Wong Yu-ting, chairperson of the association, told journalists after the meeting that the authorities had assuaged the concerns of the sector.
Commissioner for Transport Angela Lee pledged to collaborate with the police force to combat the operation of illegal car-hailing services in the city, he said.
Wong also urged the authorities to step up prosecuting drivers offering illegal ride-hailing services to increase the deterrent effect.
“The chief executive has spoken,” he said in Cantonese. “Whether the enforcement agencies will really take action… I think they will.”
The taxi union said last week that they would stage a five-day strike starting on March 5 if the government failed to commit to a crackdown on ride-hailing services by Wednesday.
Chief Executive John Lee responded to the threat on Tuesday, saying that many taxi industry representatives had indicated they would not support or take part in “drastic action.”
He urged the taxi sector to express their views rationally, adding that such action would only harm the interests of citizens.
Angela Lee, the transport commissioner, told the press separately on Wednesday that the committee had a “constructive discussion” with representatives from the taxi industry on the regulation of ride-hailing platforms.
“Most of the trade associations in the taxi industry actually supported expressing views through peaceful means and established channels. We are glad to see that this is happening this morning,” she said, adding that the committee will meet with representatives from ride-hailing platforms in the afternoon.
Existing legislation already clearly stipulates that it is an offence for private cars to carry passengers for hire or reward without a relevant permit, the transport official said.
Police have been carrying out enforcement actions, including following up on tip-offs and complaints, she added.
Hong Kong is considering regulating online ride-hailing platforms like Uber with proposals to introduce a licensing regime. A proposal on the regulatory details is expected this year.
The embattled cab industry has railed against ride-hailing services, saying largely unregulated platforms posed unfair competition to taxi drivers.
The local cab industry saw increasing government regulation over the past year amid long-standing dissatisfaction with the sector and an attempt to improve post-pandemic tourism.
A new penalty points system came into force in September, which penalises malpractice such as overcharging and service refusals. Any drivers incurring 15 or more points in two years will be disqualified.
The authorities also proposed last December to require in-vehicle surveillance cameras, GPS, dashcams, and electronic payment systems in taxis.
Article 27 of the Basic Law guarantees the right to form and join trade unions and to strike.
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