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

Hong Kong is set to legalise ride-hailing services as early as the first half of next year, paving the way for online platform operators to compete head-on with taxis after having existed in a grey space in the city for a decade.

But authorities have stressed that taxis must also be allowed to survive and that ride-hailing platforms must abide by a set of standards and responsibilities, according to a much-awaited paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday ahead of a panel discussion on Friday.

Setting out the direction of the proposed legal framework governing drivers, vehicles and operators of ride-hailing platforms, the Transport and Logistics Bureau also unveiled a plan for the government to have a share of the income.

A highlight of the regulatory framework is that the government plans to charge the platforms a levy on each trip, similar to that of Australia at A$1.20 (78 US cents) per hire on ride-hailing and taxi services, to compensate cabbies affected by the legalisation of online ride-sharing firms.

Companies will also need to pay a platform licensing fee based on the number of vehicles they operate.

Operators of ride-hailing platforms and drivers will be subject to renewable licences every five years, and vehicles annually, to prevent the speculative trading that is rampant in the taxi trade.