HK announces new measures, hampering Uber’s legalization

A sign is displayed at an Uber Technologies Inc. office during a driver recruitment event in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s transport minister expressed his view that new car- hailing services should run like existing taxi firms, which would involve changing their business models for a chance at being legalized.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Professor Anthony Cheung Bing Leung announced a report on the long-term development of public transport that featured 14 new measures which would likely hamper Uber’s hope of fitting into a regulatory regime.

Although the report did not specifically mention Uber, the Hong Kong government maintains a strong stance against such car-hailing services, evidenced by its police arresting 22 partner-drivers last month on suspicion of picking up passengers.

“The company that you mentioned […] can run its businesses like how existing taxi companies do now,” Cheung said when asked about Uber, as cited in a report issued by South China Morning Post.

“Some companies are just not willing to be regulated under established mechanisms. They hope they can run their businesses and not come under any regulations. I believe that no country and no government would allow that.”

Although the minister acknowledged that the public recently has preferred to hail taxis over the internet, he noted that premium taxis can provide the exact same service.

According to the media outlet, Uber said it was “pleased” to see that the government had recognized the need to improve point-to-point transport services.

Meanwhile Uber Macau is also still hoping for service legalization.

In July last year, Uber Macau hand-delivered copies of around 3,000 e-mails to the Office of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, appealing to him to regulate the ride-sharing sector. However, the firm stated early this year that there were still no concrete dialogues that were established with the government.

While the company awaits its permission to legally run in the territory, the MSAR has granted an eight-year license to Radio Taxi Service Company – operators of the region’s special taxis that can only be hailed through the phone or its mobile application.