The government must keep its promise to review and adjust permit quotas – or face a backlash from commuters
3-MIN READ3-MINMike RowseMike Rowse is an independent commentator. Published: 5:30am, 27 Jul 2026The long-awaited earthquake in Hong Kong’s taxi and ride-hailing scene is almost upon us and the questions are how big the initial shock will be, and how many aftershocks we can expect. The important thing in the coming months will be to keep the focus on protecting the interests of the travelling public.
Up to now the interests of the two groups have largely coincided. Will the new regime cause these interests to diverge more sharply? Will more drivers wish to own their vehicles to enjoy the full fruits of the ride-hailing system?
The nature of the industry favours scale operators as they are better able to offer a comprehensive service, which in turn attracts more drivers to register with them, thus enabling them to provide a better service. We could start with four and quickly concentrate to one or two dominant players.
