‘I jumped out’ of Hong Kong taxi once because of the smell: transport adviser

Hong Kong’s taxi industry has agreed its service quality needs to improve to stay ahead of the competition, a top government transport adviser has said, after meeting disgruntled cabbies to discuss a planned regulatory regime for ride-hailing platforms.

Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee, said he had received two petitions from taxi drivers discussing how authorities could regulate ride-hailing apps following the meeting.

He also encouraged the public to continue sharing their opinions with him.

“You can share any opinions with me … including [those from] the public, internet users or ride-hailing platforms, not just the taxi industry,” Cheung told the media on Sunday.

The committee’s working group is responsible for meeting stakeholders to discuss their views on the planned regulatory regime.

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.