Hong Kong to set ride-hailing permit quota at 10,000 under regulatory push

Source says authorities to submit consultation paper to Legislative Council as early as late Tuesday to seek lawmakers’ feedback

Hong Kong authorities have finally set the quota for ride-hailing service permits at 10,000 vehicles as part of their long-winding push to introduce a regulatory regime, the South China Morning Post has learned.

A source said authorities would submit a consultation paper to the Legislative Council as early as late Tuesday to seek lawmakers’ feedback before gazetting the proposal later.

“They believe that the number of licences issued can cater to the public’s commuting needs, keeping passengers’ experience largely unchanged, while taking road carrying capacity into account,” the insider said on Tuesday.

Under the proposed regime, ride-hailing platforms must apply for licences in the third quarter for a full roll-out in the fourth quarter, with both Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan repeatedly stressing the importance of “dynamic assessments” when setting the quota.

Uber has operated in a regulatory vacuum in Hong Kong for more than a decade, during which competitors Singapore-based Tada and mainland Chinese operators Didi Chuxing and Amap have entered the market.

Amap is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of the SCMP.