Taxi strike called off as govt extends olive branch
A group of taxi drivers called off a strike on Tuesday evening – a little over 12 hours before it was due to go ahead – after authorities said they would review existing laws on unauthorised ride-hailing services. Wong Yue-ting, who chairs the Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association, said the government has extended an olive branch, noting that it also agreed to meeting with the trade as soon as possible to try to get the industry "back on track". Wong said they could not stage the strike at the Lam Tsuen carpark anyway. The Tai Po Rural Committee said it was worried that the planned gathering of some 500 taxis would affect traffic in the area, adding that the police had not approved the protest. "Pressed for time, we have cancelled the strike for the time being after weighing the pros and cons. We hope to reach a consensus after meeting with the government, so that the taxi industry can go back to normal," Wong said. Shortly before the strike was called off, the Transport and Logistics Bureau had issued a statement saying it would step up enforcement against unauthorised operators and consider regulating online ride-hailing platforms. The administration added that it would strive to have lawmakers debate a bill as soon as possible to increase the penalty for those involved in the illegal ride-hailing business. The bureau said it hoped to resolve the issue with the taxi industry in a rational and pragmatic way, and urged drivers to put the public interest first.