The Hong Kong government has approved an increase of $2 in flag-fall rates for taxis, which came into effect on Sunday, July 14. This means the starting fares for urban taxis is now $29, as well as $25.50 for New Territories taxis and $24 for Lantau taxis. Beyond the first two kilometres after flag-fall, the incremental charges for each 200 metres of travel has also been raised. Charges for waiting times while the meter is running will be adjusted since the overall fare will cost more, while other additional charges such as for luggage and pets remain unchanged.
To help passengers get used to this change, taxis have been equipped with a conversion table showing old and new fares. Taxis which have yet to adjust their meters will still display the old fare, while the price difference to make up for the fare increase will be handled as a surcharge.
While this does mean an increased burden for consumers, especially frequent taxi riders, those who are in the taxi trade have expressed their displeasure with this $2 hike. The industry’s request was for fares to be raised $6, meaning they are now only getting a third of the amount they wanted. On the other hand, some consumers think the raised charge is not justified when held up against the level of service provided by most taxi drivers.
Apart from increasing the incomes and livelihoods of taxi drivers, the government said they also took into account factors such as public acceptance, changes in taxi operating costs, and fare differentials between taxis and other modes of public transport when considering this fare raise. Let’s hope that this fare increase will allow taxi drivers to invest in their vehicles more and improve the quality of their services.
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