Superficial Taxi Reforms

Taxis are the target of numerous complaints in Hong Kong

It is difficult to understand why the Hong Kong taxi industry has been so bad for so long. It's as if it's dying a long slow death, though the only saving grace is that the fares are very inexpensive compared to other major cities in the world.

Nevertheless there are so many complaints about the service, from taxi drivers wearing shirts sticking out, taking drags on cigarettes, to mostly elderly men who in recent months have fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed into sidewalks and pedestrians. 

Others take advantage of naive mainland tourists and take them on outrageous joy rides or give a lot of attitude to customers, making the ride tense and awkward.

Many find the drivers' attitudes unbearable

When you get into a taxi, you immediately sink several inches into your seat because so many other bottoms have sat there for decades, and the vehicle has not been replaced because the license costs a fortune.

Is it no wonder that Hong Kong residents prefer taking other ride-hailing services like Uber? The driver comes to you, the vehicle is very clean, you can choose to have music or not and give well-deserved tips. 

But instead the taxi industry wants the government to shut down services like Uber because it makes its own business look really bad.

The Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association claims it will reform its drivers by introducing a demerit system. But the association claims only a small number of drivers behave poorly.

The scheme will fine cabbies with three, five or 10 demerit points if they violate any of the 11 offences. If drivers accumulate 15 or more points within a two-year period, he or she will be disqualified from operating a taxi for three months.

Some have a lot of distractions from the road...

What are the 11 offences? They include overcharging, wilfully refusing or neglecting to accept a hire , using a route that is not the most direct one, and refusing to carry the number of passengers requested as long as the vehicle has the capacity to do so.

However there is no sign of reforming the annoying 4pm switch -- when taxis all over the city are unavailable from around 3.30pm till after 4pm because they need to take the car to the next driver. Why not have this staggered throughout the day so that people can still get access to taxis? Do they all have to switch over at the exact same time?

When this rule is changed and vehicles are updated then yes Hong Kong's taxi service will be improved. But for now people should have a choice of how they want to get from A to B. Taxis have to do better. Way better.