Govt urged to be lenient with dodgy taxi drivers
The government's being urged to go easy on taxi drivers as it moves to stamp out various types of malpractice, amid claims some cabbies don't even grasp what behaviours can land them in trouble with the law. A bill to Legco sets out 11 existing offences – of all which carry punishments of up to six months in prison – for which taxi drivers could also be given penalty points in future, including refusing to accept a hire, overcharging, and not taking the most direct route. Under the government's plan, too many points within two years would lead to a driver being disqualified for a certain period of time.  But the chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Council, Ryan Wong, on Wednesday said some of the 11 offences are difficult for drivers to understand, such as "not setting taximeter to recording position" – the legal requirement for taxi drivers to turn the meter on.  Wong said cabbies need to be given a better idea of what the offences entail and initially at least, the authorities should only focus on the most serious ones. "Taxi drivers are scared of being demerited due to misunderstandings because, honestly speaking, you can lose your licence just after a few offences. Are all the offences immediate concerns that the public needs us to address?" Wong questioned on an RTHK programme.  "We agree that services need to be improved, but let's focus on problems that are serious and immediate, and then we can slowly move on to the other concerns mentioned within the eleven offences." The government is also proposing to allow taxi owners to form their own fleets, as long as they provide a certain number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles, some "luxury taxis", as well as online booking channels and training to improve drivers' customer service skills.  Wong said fares for journeys involving such new fleets would have to be at least 30 percent higher.  "Each customer has different needs so there will be some who are willing to pay this rate. Some might prefer a luxury taxi, while others want more room. If we are investing in better resources and services, shouldn't the price go up reasonably too?"