Chen Meibao: Hong Kong plans to issue 10,000 licenses for online car-hailing services in the first stage, believing it is a cautious and prudent starting point.

The Transport and Logistics Bureau of Hong Kong announced yesterday (May 26) that four related subsidiary regulations on online car-hailing services have been enacted, proposing a current limit of 10,000 online car-hailing licenses. The Bureau has submitted the regulations to the Legislative Council today for the process of enactment and subsequent review. Director of the Transport and Logistics Bureau, Chen Meibao, stated that after balancing various considerations such as the overall public transportation ecosystem, road capacity, and citizens' travel experience, the initial limit for licenses has been set at 10,000, believing it to be a cautious and prudent starting point. Chen Meibao pointed out that the Bureau has been listening to feedback from the industry, citizens, and interested operators, and will continue to evaluate the license quantity dynamically based on data. Online car-hailing platforms are required to provide operational data to the Transport Department, including dispatch frequency, trip cancellations, driver availability, and completed service counts, which will form the basis of dynamic evaluation. After a period of operation, the Bureau will conduct phased analysis and consider factors such as passenger needs, market development, and platform operations to adjust the license quantity as needed. Chen Meibao emphasized that the goal of establishing regulatory frameworks is to provide safe, efficient, and citizen-centric online car-hailing services, giving citizens more diverse and secure point-to-point travel options. She expressed confidence in the healthy development of online car-hailing services complementing traditional taxis and believes that regulation will help ensure the continued healthy growth of point-to-point services. She revealed that preliminary discussions have been held with the Legislative Council yesterday, hoping to swiftly complete the relevant review through positive cooperation and interaction. She pledged to monitor the implementation of regulatory measures closely with a pragmatic attitude and data-driven approach.