8 Hong Kong taxi fleets compete for 5 licences under government master plan to improve service, industry chief says

He told a radio programme that said his application included more than 1,600 vehicles and it was planned to buy 350 new cabs.

Wong added his team would also need to spend about HK$3 million to HK$5 million on service upgrades in the first six months if the application was successful.

“We hope to improve the image of New Territories taxis among passengers,” Wong said.

He added the driver training would mostly involve customer service skills and the programme would be expanded to include drivers who were not part of the fleet.

Wong said they would arrange training sessions for drivers who were the subject of customer complaints and that serious offenders would be fired.

He added the group would also work with one to two ride-hailing platforms from mainland China, as well as running their own mobile app for booking cabs.

The Post has contacted the Transport Department for details of the applications received.

A set of requirements were imposed for the licences, including provision of online booking channels on mobile applications and websites, e-payment options, and the installation of CCTV systems in cabs.

The taxis must also be three years old or less when they join the fleet.

Government statistics showed that complaints and suggestions involving taxi services stood at 11,096 in 2023 – 52.8 per cent higher than the year before.

Taxi drivers who refused a hire and overcharging were among the top complaints.

The government earlier said that introduction of new taxi fleet rules could help foster “healthy competition among different taxi fleets, as well as taxi fleets and non-fleet taxis, and gradually change the trade’s ecology through market evolution.”