The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:
 
     The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the Government's submission of the legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport.
 
     The Chairman of the TAC and the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services (Working Group), Professor Stephen Cheung, said, "The development density of Hong Kong is high, with nearly 90 per cent of commuters using public transport. We agree with the Government's adherence to a public transport oriented policy and the effective utilisation of limited road resources. With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online hailing platforms have become an international trend. Various sectors of society, the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies have been calling on the Government to regulate online hailing hire car services, with a view to creating a healthy and sustainable competitive environment for the personalised point-to-point transport market."
 
     "The TAC welcomes the Government's legislative proposal to regulate online hailing hire car services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles, and drivers, to ensure that the services provided comply with legal requirements and regulations relating to safety standards and service quality. This will help safeguard passengers' safety and rights and meet the travel needs of the public. The TAC expects that, after the relevant regulation has been implemented, taxis will continue to maintain its current advantages and coexist with online hailing hire cars, thereby meeting passengers' diversified transport demands." Professor Cheung continued.
 
     The TAC established the Working Group in July last year to advise the Government on the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group comprises a number of TAC members, representatives from relevant agencies/departments, namely the Insurance Authority and the Tourism Commission, as well as representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department. In February this year, the Working Group met with representatives from the taxi trade and online hailing platform companies to gather their views and suggestions, and subsequently received views from various taxi trade representatives, online hailing platform companies and the public regarding the regulation of online hailing hire car services. The Working Group has previously submitted the views collected, along with the research findings on the regulation of online hailing hire car services in other regions, to the Government.

Ends/Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:52

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