Hong Kong lawmakers have passed a bill legalising ride-hailing services, ending a decade of operations in legal limbo and a long-running dispute with the city’s taxi trade.
Lawmakers passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill on Wednesday and it will be sent to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu for his signature.
The law will come into effect when it is published in the Government Gazette.
“The passage of the bill marks a new milestone for Hong Kong’s point-to-point personalised services,” Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said, adding that there was “a great deal” of detailed work ahead, having established the regulatory framework.
“We are not relaxing our efforts at this stage. We are addressing the regulatory details of public concern, which include the number of ride-hailing vehicles, licence terms and other specifics,” she said.
Authorities earlier said the first batch of licensed ride-hailing platforms could begin operations in the fourth quarter of next year.
