Fare Hikes 'too Little Too Late', Say Taxi Drivers

Taxi driver representatives on Wednesday expressed worries that a “mild” increase in flagfall charges may hurt their income instead of helping them.

The Executive Council had approved the increase of flagfall charges by HK$3, but taxi drivers said it is only half of what they had been asking for over the past years.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, To Sun-tong from the Motor Transport Workers General Union said he expects business to fall initially when the new fares take effect from mid-July.

He also urged taxi owners not to increase rent too soon as drivers are still suffering from a drop in passenger numbers because of the Covid-19 epidemic.

To said the public may be more accepting if the flagfall rates increase gradually every two years.

He added that the government must step up law enforcement against illegal ride hailing services.

The chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and PLB Association, Chow Kwok-keung, meanwhile, proposed a fare adjustment mechanism similar to the one adopted by the MTR which takes into account a host of factors like inflation and average wage increase.

"To be honest, it took five years to approve our application. By delaying it, does the government genuinely want to help the industry?

“At the same time officials say they want to help improve the service quality of taxis… If our income can't catch up, how can the industry improve service quality?" Chow questioned.

Chow noted the average age of cab drivers is going up, and without sufficient incentive, it will be more difficult to attract new blood to join the industry.