The taxi-hailing app Uber challenges Hong Kong’s core value of the rule of law, said Secretary for Innovation and Technology Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung. He was speaking at a media tea reception on Monday. Uber ran into legal problems in Hong Kong in August when police raided its local office and arrested drivers and staff on charges of operating illegal hire car services.
Yang said Uber should have waited until amendments were made to the law rather than violating it. He also said that the company had cooperated with the Singaporean government, in contrast to what had happened in Hong Kong.
IT sector lawmaker Charles Mok said he was disappointed in Yang’s comments. “The Innovation and Technology Bureau should coordinate with other government bureaus in helping Uber to solve the problems, such as amending some outdated laws. But now, the government has failed to do that, and blames Uber,” Mok said.
Mok added that the Singaporean government had revised two laws in order to facilitate Uber’s operations.
Uber told Apple Daily that the company had been proactively communicating with the government, and had had constructive discussions with many Legislative Council lawmakers and stakeholders. The company said close co-operation between businesses and the government were essential in optimising the urban transport system.
