Uber vs. Hong Kong Taxis: Clash of the Titans in the Streets

On Wednesday, some 500 Hong Kong cabs will go on strike in opposition to the government's reluctance to take tough measures against ride-hailing companies like Uber Technologies Inc.

According to Wong Yu Ting, chairman of one of the associations taking part in the strike, drivers would begin turning away customers at 11 a.m. local time and continue for three hours, beginning in the Tai Po region. The action comes after negotiations between authorities and 17 taxi driver associations failed to produce a consensus, and it is unlikely that the tiny number of vehicles and remote location—far from Hong Kong's busy center—will create significant problems.

"The strike will proceed as scheduled, as we met with government representatives this morning, but we are not satisfied with their responses," Wong declared. "We want to address the illegal ride-hailing service issue and implement a proposed demerit point system for taxis. These are our two main requests."

In Hong Kong, Uber's presence is difficult. Although it is prohibited by law, since its 2014 introduction, it has expanded to approximately 14,000 driver partners. It also offers Uber Taxi, which enables users to schedule a ride with a taxi driver partner using the company's own app. In 2021, it purchased the well-known HKTaxi app.