bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Oscar Liu

Operators of ride-hailing platforms and vehicles in Hong Kong will need to apply for renewable rather than permanent licences under a proposed regulatory framework, to prevent speculative trading that is rampant in the city’s taxi trade, the Post has learned.
An insider said on Thursday that the ride-hailing platforms would need to pay for the licences, which would have a validity of five years.
The number of vehicles operating under each platform would also be capped, and the owner of each vehicle would need to pay for the licence and commercial insurance, the source said.
“Authorities prefer time-limited licences for both types to avoid repeating the speculative trading issues seen with taxi licences,” the insider added.
The source said that drivers who signed up with the platforms would be required to pass a written test that was similar to the one for cabbies.
But the insider stopped short of saying how much the licence fee would cost or the maximum number of vehicles that would be allowed to join the scheme.
The source declined to comment on the licence cap, but said: “There will be a limit.”
Asked for a timeline for the legislation’s implementation, the insider said it would be sorted out as soon as possible.
Another source said the proposed framework leaned towards restricting the age of ride-hailing vehicles and levying fees on platforms, with the funds reinvested to improve the service quality of the city’s taxi trade.
The Post learned that officials met lawmakers to discuss the proposals ahead of their submission to a Legislative Council panel meeting set for July 18.
The regulatory framework will finally allow Hong Kong to legalise ride-hailing services, which have been operating in a grey area, with the platforms favoured by passengers but not by taxi companies, which have campaigned against them.


Police said they took enforcement action against 55 people in the first six months of the year for the illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward, which surpassed the 47 recorded for all of 2024.
It is currently illegal in Hong Kong for private vehicle drivers to accept paid customers without a hire-car permit. But ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing operate unregulated. Amap is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, which also owns the South China Morning Post.
An Uber spokesman said on Thursday that any cap on ride-sharing licences would lead to longer waiting times, higher prices and fewer available rides, especially during busy periods. It would also reduce flexible earning opportunities for more than 30,000 annual ride-share drivers, he said.
“We hope the government considers a regulatory framework that prioritises safety [and] meets the needs of the community,” he said.
The Post has contacted Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing for comment.
Chow Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, welcomed a cap being set on the number of ride-hailing licences. He said that while the precise figure could be ironed out through further discussions among stakeholders, the initial number of licences issued should start with a few hundred per platform.
“It’s only right that ride-hailing platforms are regulated, and the taxi industry hopes the framework will put an end to illegal private hire vehicles,” Chow said, noting the trade had a growing number of new electric vehicles and the emergence of cab fleets offering on-demand services.
“If the taxi industry can optimise its services, the demand for private ride-hailing vehicles will naturally drop.”
Chow said that the costs associated with licensing and insurance for ride-hailing vehicles would lead to a substantial drop in the number of current drivers.
Hong Kong has 46,000 taxi drivers and about 18,000 cabs on the road.
Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said at least 10,000 new ride-hailing licences were needed for the platforms to operate. He said he would oppose the proposal if the number was less than that.
“A total of 10,000 new ride-hailing licences for private cars along with the existing 18,000 taxis would still be far short of Singapore’s 75,000 point-to-point vehicles; especially for Hong Kong’s population, this option is way underprovided,” Tien noted.
He also highlighted that unstable weather underlined the urgent need for more ride-hailing services, as public transport could no longer cope with demand.
Ben Chan Han-pan, a member of the Legislative Council’s transport panel, said authorities should prioritise enacting the primary legislation if the framework’s core content did not trigger any significant controversy.
“The number of vehicles ride-hailing platforms operate still needs to depend on societal consensus. But we need to solve this issue quickly as other detailed arrangements can then be handled through subsidiary legislation,” Chan said.
Additional reporting by Harvey Kong


Hong Kong to regulate ride-hailing firms as early as first half of 2026, eyes levy

Will raising fees solve Hong Kong’s metered car parking crunch?

Hong Kong’s first fully licensed premium taxi fleet hits the streets with 160 cabs

Hongkongers use driving schools over border to get cheap licences illegally

Hong Kong transport

Ride-hailing operators, vehicles in Hong Kong to need renewable licences

The city’s ride-hailing sector has been dogged by disputes over the years, with long-standing hostility between the traditional taxi industry and online ride-sharing services such as Uber. Photo: Dickson Lee

80% of Hong Kong Uber drivers worried about quota and fees under new rules

Uber has conducted a survey of 4,800 drivers on their concerns about a coming proposal to regulate ride-hailing platforms in Hong Kong. Photo: Jelly Tse

Transport chief Mable Chan has said the government will listen to feedback and determine how to set a reasonable quota on the number of ride-hailing drivers under the regulatory framework. Photo: May Tse

Hong Kong government accelerates plan for ride-hailing legislation

The regulatory proposal on ride-hailing services in Hong Kong will be submitted to the legislature before the end of the month. Photo: Jelly Tse

Transport minister Mable Chan highlighted the launch of five premium taxi fleets as an effort to improve service quality. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

Hong Kong

Transport

Insider says ride-hailing platforms will need licences that are not permanent but renewable, with a cap on number of vehicles given such permits


Insider says ride-hailing platforms will need licences that are not permanent but renewable, with a cap on number of vehicles given such permits.


Uber

Didi Chuxing