'Govt has promised a crackdown on ride-hailing firms'
Taxi industry representatives say promises of a crackdown on unlicensed ride-hailing services led them to call off a strike by hundreds of drivers that was planned for Wednesday morning. On a radio programme, Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said officials have also vowed to involve the industry more in the process of tackling such services.  "In the past, undercover operations have been solely the responsibility of the police. It is unclear whether other methods of obtaining evidence will be used in the future. However, we certainly hope that the public and the industry will be given the opportunity to participate in providing evidence. But if the goal is to crack down on unlicensed taxis at the root, I don't think we can escape legislative amendments," he said. Chau added that the taxi industry is willing to improve service quality, including by installing cameras and recording devices, and adding more cross-harbour stands. But speaking on the same programme, the vice-chairman of the Third Side political group, Casper Wong, said taxi drivers should focus on improving their attitudes.  “I think that the taxi industry has always been reluctant to allow the government to regulate their attitudes… In fact, we are all suffering from the attitude problems of taxi drivers every day. They don't go across the harbour, they don't go short distances, and they don't go long distances. I think regulation, demerit points, and the introduction of competition are the most basic things that Hong Kong needs to do to improve this industry,” he said. Wong called for ride-hailing firms to be licensed, saying such a move could prompt an immediate improvement to taxi services. "The safety of both drivers and passengers is well-protected in the presence of ride-hailing services in the mainland or other places. Second, fairness. You will often hear about overcharging in Hong Kong every day. However, after the introduction of ride-hailing services, this unfairness will be greatly resolved."