A potential citywide strike by thousands of taxi drivers and owners looms over Hong Kong, with industry representatives warning that action could commence as early as March 5 if the government fails to address concerns about unlicensed ride-hailing services.
The strike threat emerged following a meeting on Tuesday night, where more than 80% of the attendees endorsed a plan to suspend taxi services for at least five days. The decision reflects long-standing grievances over “white-license vehicles,” a term used to describe illegal ride-hailing operations that have increasingly encroached on the traditional taxi industry.
Currently, Hong Kong is home to 18,163 taxis and over 200,000 licensed taxi drivers. However, recent data from the Transportation Department shows that only about 40,000 of these drivers are actively working, highlighting a significant decline in the industry.
Wong Yu-ting, chairman of the Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association, is set to present the industry’s proposal to the Transport Advisory Committee on Wednesday. The outcome of this meeting will be crucial; an official strike announcement is expected if the committee does not provide a satisfactory response to the industry’s demands.
Industry leaders are working to finalize their proposal by Sunday, which includes key demands for an immediate shutdown of unlicensed ride-hailing platforms and stricter legal action against drivers and operators involved in these services.
In a statement, the industry lamented, “The government’s heartless and unjust policies, along with 11 years of unfair competition, have driven down the value of taxi owners’ assets, hijacked our businesses, and plunged most owners into negative equity—leaving them facing bankruptcy in the near future.”
The situation is intensifying, with industry representatives threatening to surrender taxi licenses en masse, halt bank mortgage payments, and pursue legal action against the government for financial losses if their demands are ignored.
As the deadline approaches, the stakes are high for both the taxi industry and the government, with the potential for widespread disruption across the city’s transportation system.
