Cabbies pose as passengers in plan to net Uber drivers
Cabbies acting as passengers have attempted to trick Uber drivers into stopping near police patrols in an effort to “spontaneously report” illegal ride-hailing services, according to a spate of videos that went viral online.
Footage and photos widely shared on Facebook and the Reddit-like forum LIHKG showed passengers filming their journeys and encouraging several drivers to stop at spots near the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal where officers were patrolling.
“Please park behind the Benz and wait. The cop will come to greet you,” one passenger says in a video.
A source familiar with the matter yesterday said members of the Hong Kong Taxi Council had carried out an undercover operation targeting Uber drivers.
Although Uber has been in the city for nine years, ride-hailing services are illegal without a hire-car permit.
“They boarded the [Uber] vehicles at seven different locations, with the final destination being the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal,” the insider said.
The cabbies then called police once the vehicles had arrived at the terminal, he added.
Police said no related fines had been issued or any arrests made so far, but seven vehicles were involved. Officers from the Kowloon East traffic unit are following up on the case.
The footage showed multiple private cars being stopped by police, with the drivers getting out of their vehicles to assist with the investigation.
A police spokesman said officers received a report at 4.35pm on Thursday from a man who alleged someone was operating illegal car-hire services. The force arrived at the scene and took the details of the driver and vehicle involved, with the case classified as a “traffic complaint”.
Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, called for calm and urged members of the sector to refrain from taking matters into their own hands.
He said they should instead bring their grievances to labour groups and solve problems through conversations with the Transport Department, although he admitted he understood the frustration felt by the drivers reportedly involved in the latest actions. “A lot has happened to the taxi industry over the past six months,” he said.
“We have received a lot of hate online over new developments in the ride-hailing industry.”
He pointed to a proposal to introduce stiffer penalties on unlicensed drivers, the details of which the government was expected to announce as soon as next month, and a HK$2 rise in flag-fall rates for taxi trips, which was approved by the Executive Council earlier this week.
“People online have been attacking us, saying we should not be allowed to increase fares, and that online ride-hailing services should be fully legalised,” he said.
Chau also referenced promises the force made that it would target unlicensed drivers during the May 1 Labour Day holiday, which he said ended with “only a few arrests”, while officers had carried out major crackdowns on overcharging by taxis and other violations.
“We just feel there is a major imbalance in efforts tackling violations by us and Uber drivers, which makes a lot of us feel discouraged and very unhappy,” he said.
Transport Department figures showed there were 35 cases of vehicle seizures and licence suspensions over illegal ride-hailing services in 2022, compared with 91 recorded in 2021 and 44 in 2020.
Legislation passed last December also introduced stiffer penalties against those caught offering such services, including Uber drivers. The new policy doubles the maximum fine for first-time offenders to HK$10,000, with subsequent convictions requiring culprits to pay a HK$25,000 penalty.
We have received a lot of hate online over new developments in the … industry
CHAU KWOK-KEUNG, HONG KONG TAXI AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUS ASSOCIATION