Hong Kong authorities have warned ride-hailing platform operators to ensure their services are legal ahead of a meeting with them, as more than 30 disgruntled taxi drivers gathered outside the city government headquarters to petition for tougher law enforcement against illegal services.
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The Transport and Logistics Bureau issued a statement on Friday morning expressing concerns about illegal platforms and the private car drivers who used them to offer rides without proper permits.
It said it would meet with ride-hailing operators later in the day on the back of a two-hour meeting with taxi industry leaders on Thursday over how to regulate the platforms and crack down on illegal services.
“The bureau has received the taxi representatives’ petition letter and will communicate closely with industry stakeholders while pressing ahead with the legislation of the operations of the platforms to ensure the general public will have access to safe and convenient point-to-point services,” the statement said.
It is currently illegal in Hong Kong for drivers of private vehicles to accept paid customers without a hire-car permit, with many ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing operating unregulated. Amap is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.
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A framework for regulating the platforms is expected to go before lawmakers this year.
Outside government headquarters in Admiralty, over 30 cabbies submitted a petition on Friday to call on transport authorities to take action against private-hire drivers, which they said were severely impacting the operations of the “legitimate” transport industry.