Hong Kong police will roll out a new scheme to crack down on taxi drivers who overcharge or refuse passengers, beginning in nightlife area Lan Kwai Fong.
A three-month pilot of the scheme will launch in Lan Kwai Fong on Friday, with “taxi ambassadors” standing by at two taxi stations to support passengers from 12am to 5am on Saturdays and Sundays, Law Kwok Hoi, police commander of Central District told reporters on Wednesday.
These ambassadors will help passengers mark down the taxi’s vehicle registration plate, destination and estimated fare on a taxi information card, Law said. The card will also provide a telephone number to call in case of complaints.
Run jointly by the police and the Lan Kwai Fong Group, promotional material for the scheme will be posted in bars and restaurants around the area.
Hoi said police officers would pose as passengers to catch any illegal behaviour by drivers.
Gordon Cheung, chief operation officer of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, said the scheme would be good for both Hong Kong and Lan Kwai Fong.
“Previously in Lan Kwai Fong and other spots in Hong Kong, some taxi drivers have overcharged passengers or refused passengers. These incidents have given a bad impression of Hong Kong, ” Cheung said. “We fully support this scheme initiated by the police. “
Complaints by Chinese tourists
The move came after some mainland Chinese tourists and influencers complained about Hong Kong taxi drivers.
A Chinese influencer posted on social media platform Douyin last August saying that he was asked to pay HK$200 by a taxi driver for a trip from Lan Kwai Fong to Causeway Bay, local media reported. The fee for that journey would normally be around HK$60.
Kevin Yeung, the city’s sports and tourism chief, said in response to this incident when he met the press in August that such illegal practices should not happen to either tourists or local residents, and that Hong Kong should remain a hospitable city.
Earlier this year, another Chinese influencer complained about Hong Kong taxi drivers’ poor attitudes.
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