Hong Kong authorities will not favour existing ride-hailing platform drivers in the allocation of such vehicle permits, citing concerns about encouraging illegal activities and difficulties in execution, the transport minister has said.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Monday also refrained from revealing whether a time frame was being planned to review the controversial 10,000 permit cap despite repeated queries from lawmakers during the Legislative Council’s subcommittee meeting.
Lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung urged the government to allocate permits by drawing lots, saying that favouring existing ride-hailing drivers would encourage more people to join the service and break the law.
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It is currently illegal in Hong Kong for private vehicle drivers to accept paid customers without a hire-car permit. But ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing operate in the regulatory vacuum. Amap is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, which also owns the South China Morning Post.
Chan agreed that authorities should not favour existing ride-hailing drivers.
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“Current ride-hailing drivers are engaging in illegal activities. The government also cannot distinguish whether a driver has offered ride-hailing services,” Chan said.