'Regulating ride-hailing services in public interest'
Transport minister Lam Sai-hung says the government wants to regulate online ride-hailing services so as to protect people's safety and rights. In documents submitted to the legislature on Monday, officials said they plan to give out licences for such services, proposing that the courts could order the seizure of vehicles involved in providing services illegally. The government said those convicted of providing illegal ride-hailing services could have their driving licence suspended for a period of time, possibly a year. In an interview with RTHK, Lam said officials came up with the plans after studying the experiences of other places, such as Shenzhen and Singapore. “The biggest effect for us regulating online ride-hailing services is that we hope to be able to protect the safety and rights of passengers," he said. "Without a regulatory framework, the rights and safety might be affected, or insurance issues. I think these are topics that the general public attaches importance to." Lam’s bureau said transport officials will study public views and how people's needs are changing, with a view to presenting a legislative proposal next year. Meanwhile, the government has been vetting applications for the formation of taxi fleets, as it plans to give out five licences this month. Lam told RTHK that the government is open to the idea of fleet operators cooperating with mainland service providers. The issues are scheduled to be discussed at a Legco panel meeting on Friday.