Hong Kong Taxi Drivers Face Bans for Poor Service under Penalty Points Law
Misbehaving Hong Kong taxi drivers could face operating bans under a new penalty points system covering offenses such as overcharging or refusing a hire, after years of complaints against “black sheep” in the industry. The Taxi-Driver-Offense Points (TDOP) Ordinance, passed last December, will come into force on September 22, the government announced on Thursday. It provides for different levels of penalties based on accumulated points.
The New Penalty Points System
Any driver incurring 15 or more points within two years will be disqualified from driving a taxi, with an initial ban of three months and six months for subsequent disqualifications. Those with 10 points or above will have to attend a course on service improvements, or face a fine of HK$5,000 and imprisonment for one month. Each severe malpractice including overcharging, refusing a hire, or altering or damaging a meter, will earn 10 points. Offenses such as failing to take the most direct route will incur five points while refusing to issue a receipt if one is requested is worth three points.
“The quality of taxi services has been an issue of concern in recent years,” the Transport Department said in a statement on Thursday. “The TDOP system aims to strengthen the deterrent effect against malpractices by taxi drivers for combating the black sheep in the taxi industry and enhancing the service quality and overall image of the trade.”
Legislative Council’s Decision
The Legislative Council passed the penalty points bill with the support of 68 lawmakers, while three voted against it and 13 abstained. Lawmaker Frankie Yick of the transport sector, who voted against the bill, said the 11 offenses it specified were already covered by existing legislation, and the new points system would amount to a “double penalty” for taxi drivers.
The government introduced a separate series of initiatives to “reform” the taxi industry last July. Apart from toughening penalties, it also rolled out a scheme for taxi fleets, which are expected to provide enhanced services by next July.
Increasing Complaints and Measures
Complaints against taxi services rose by more than 90 per cent between 2020 and 2022, from 1,238 to 2,397, the government said last April. There are 18,163 taxi licenses in Hong Kong, owned by nearly 9,000 license holders. However, licenses are issued without any conditions directly related to service quality.
Supporting measures are crucial for the success of the new penalty points system. To Sun Tong, vice director of the taxi branch of the Motor Transport Workers General Union, expressed hope that the law would punish the “black sheep” in the industry. However, he emphasized the importance of supporting measures and urged the government to review the services of complaint hotlines.
Currently, the Transport Department runs a hotline for passengers to file complaints but only during office hours. To Sun Tong highlighted the inconvenience for passengers who cannot file complaints at night, on weekends, or holidays. He also suggested that all cabbies should be required to install surveillance cameras to help ease the handling of disputes.
Ensuring Fairness and Accountability
To Sun Tong pointed out that offenses such as overcharging are covered in the existing road traffic ordinance, but the government wanted to toughen the penalties. He mentioned that the earlier ordinance was still in force, but the new one would be easier to implement as it does not require judicial procedures to punish a taxi driver.
In conclusion, the new penalty points system for taxi drivers in Hong Kong aims to address the long-standing issue of poor service and malpractices in the industry. By implementing strict penalties and disqualifications for repeated offenses, the government hopes to improve the overall quality and image of taxi services in the city. However, the success of the system will depend on the effective enforcement of the law and the implementation of supporting measures to ensure fairness and accountability among taxi drivers.