Representative says industry ready for April 1 requirement, with about 90 per cent of taxi drivers already registered with e-payment platforms
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenLeopold ChenPublished: 11:46am, 10 Mar 2026Mandatory e-payment in Hong Kong taxis could attract more residents and visitors to use the service, as about 90 per cent of drivers are ready to meet the requirement ahead of its implementation next month, an industry representative has said.
Ryan Wong Cheuk-pong, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Council, said on Tuesday that drivers could also benefit from e-payments by reducing disputes over fares and no longer worrying about a lack of change.
“E-payments have become a trend and many residents and visitors are now used to not carrying cash, so the lack of such options has stifled the industry’s development,” he told a radio show.
“When residents do not carry cash, they tend to choose other forms of public transport or rush to withdraw money, which has dampened their willingness to take taxis.”
City authorities have required taxis to offer at least two e-payment options – one QR code-based and one non-QR code method – starting April 1.
Drivers who fail to comply face a fine of HK$5,000 (US$640) and six months behind bars.
