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Have Hong Kong taxi drivers slammed the brakes on bad behaviour amid Uber feud?
- Post camps out at taxi ‘black spot’ and goes on undercover cab rides, finds no sign of drivers overcharging, refusing to take passengers or not using their meters
- Uber drivers and cabbies say they serve different segments, not everyone is unhappy over competition
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Where do drivers stand in Hong Kong’s Uber vs taxi battle?
Where do drivers stand in Hong Kong’s Uber vs taxi battle?
Long-simmering tensions between Hong Kong’s taxi industry and Uber’s ride-hailing service took a turn for the worse in the past week as drivers and residents resorted to vigilantism to show support for either side.
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First, a group of cabbies went undercover as Uber passengers and made at least 13 police reports against drivers they accused of providing illegal ride-hailing services.
That drew a backlash, with internet users swapping tips on social media and online forums on ways to report cabbies who were illegally parked or committing other violations.
Business leaders, lawmakers and even Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu weighed in, with the city leader calling for a halt to vigilantism and asking everyone to wait for a Transport and Logistics Bureau report on ride-hailing services due in July.
Uber has been in Hong Kong since 2014, but its legal status has long been in question as the city lacks legislation to regulate ride-hailing apps.
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Checks by the Post this week found no sign of cabbies overcharging, refusing to take passengers or not using their meters – all common complaints against the city’s taxi drivers.
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