The city should promote the peaceful coexistence of taxis and authorized ride-hailing services instead of hindering these sectors.Over ten years after the initial introduction of ride-hailing services on Hong Kong's roads, the legislation is finally beginning to align with this new industry. Government plans may soon make ride-hailing applications legal and subject them to regulation.end of next year. Periodic enforcement actions against unauthorized ride-hailing services have failed to reduce public interest in them, despite ongoing criticism of the taxi industry's safety and service quality. Meanwhile, taxi drivers have expressed concerns about unfair competition and declining profits. The government appropriately concluded that it was time to put an end to this situation. The destruction of asyndicateThe employment of mainland drivers by ride-hailing applications highlighted the critical need.
Transport and Logistics Secretary Mable Chan has stated thatproposed regulatory framework, currently being examined by legislators, aims to tackle the issue of unlicensed drivers by limiting permits to individuals who own registered vehicles, while also stopping the speculative trading of licenses. To promote competition, drivers who have registered vehicles may sign up with several ride-hailing services.
According to the new proposed regulations, ride-hailing companies are required to acquire a service license, while drivers must possess a vehicle permit. "By linking the driver to the vehicle, the platform can manage this effectively and stop unauthorized individuals from offering ride-hailing services," Chan stated.
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Drivers must be at least 21 years old, possess a private driver's license that has been held for a minimum of one year, and not have any major traffic violations in the last five years. Both operators and drivers will need to renew their licenses every five years, while vehicles will require annual inspections, aiming to eliminate the speculation that was common in the taxi industry.
The system was initially revealed almost two months back. The most recent choice to increase the maximum age of a ride-sharing vehicle from seven to12 years, while maintaining the emphasis on safety, is a reasonable approach to increase the number of drivers.
Chan mentioned that the authorities hoped that by controlling the trade, additional ride-hailing services would begin operating in Hong Kong, bringing fresh energy to the sector.
The suggested regulatory system ultimately tackles a significant and intricate matter that arose with the initial Uber services in Hong Kong back in 2014. There are still challenges, like limits on the number of vehicles per ride-sharing platform. However, things seem to be going well so far. The framework deserves general support. What Hong Kong requires is a regulatory strategy that allows taxis and authorized ride-hailing services to coexist rather than hinder these sectors. It's crucial for the Legislative Council to take its time to finalize the specifics and for the authorities to collaborate with involved parties to address remaining concerns.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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