Latest news with #platformoperators
South China Morning Post
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's move to give ride-hailing apps the green light is long overdue
If something legally questionable is left unattended for more than a decade, it is either immaterial or too thorny to tackle. In Hong Kong, the operation of ride-hailing apps in a legal grey area since 2014 is by no means too trivial to ignore. Advertisement Passengers often wonder about their safety while taxi drivers complain about unfair competition and shrinking returns. Yet the previous governments took a back seat and only opted for occasional crackdowns . The profitable trade has grown so much over the years that there is no choice but to formalise its operation. The green light by the incumbent administration for such services to legally operate as early as next year marks an important step forward. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stressed that, despite the complexity of the issues involved, the problem must not drag on. The long-overdue regulatory framework sets out the broad requirements for platform operators, vehicles and drivers, leaving details such as the number of vehicles allowed and permit fees to the next stage of legislation. Under the proposal, platform operators must meet a certain investment commitment and pay a platform licensing fee based on the size of the fleet. A per-trip levy is also being considered to support government measures to improve taxi services. Drivers must be aged 21 or above, hold a private driving licence for at least one year and have had no serious traffic incidents in the past five years. Both operators and drivers will be subject to renewable licences every five years, and vehicles once a year, to prevent the speculative trading that was rampant in the taxi trade. Advertisement The number of vehicles under each platform will be capped, with each vehicle – not older than seven years – registered under the name of the owner who would have to buy commercial insurance.
South China Morning Post
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to regulate ride-hailing firms as early as first half of 2026, eyes levy
Hong Kong is set to legalise ride-hailing services as early as the first half of next year, paving the way for online platform operators to compete head-on with taxis after having existed in a grey space in the city for a decade. But authorities have stressed that taxis must also be allowed to survive and that ride-hailing platforms must abide by a set of standards and responsibilities, according to a much-awaited paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday ahead of a panel discussion on Friday. Setting out the direction of the proposed legal framework governing drivers, vehicles and operators of ride-hailing platforms, the Transport and Logistics Bureau also unveiled a plan for the government to have a share of the income. A highlight of the regulatory framework is that the government plans to charge the platforms a levy on each trip, similar to that of Australia at A$1.20 (78 US cents) per hire on ride-hailing and taxi services, to compensate cabbies affected by the legalisation of online ride-sharing firms. Companies will also need to pay a platform licensing fee based on the number of vehicles they operate. Operators of ride-hailing platforms and drivers will be subject to renewable licences every five years, and vehicles annually, to prevent the speculative trading that is rampant in the taxi trade.
