The SAR government agreed on Friday to make changes to a Transport and Logistics Bureau draft amendment bill after Frankie Yick Chi-ming, a lawmaker for the transport functional constituency, proposed raising the penalty for “illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward by motor vehicles”. In Hong Kong, ride-hailing services offered by drivers - including Uber drivers - without hire car permits have been deemed illegal. According to the current Hong Kong law, any person who uses a motor vehicle for illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward is liable to a maximum fine of HK$5,000 and imprisonment of three months, plus a suspension of vehicle license and an impoundment of the vehicle for three months on the first conviction. For subsequent convictions, a maximum fine of HK$10,000 and imprisonment of six months may be imposed along with the suspension of vehicle license and impoundment of vehicles for six months. Yick proposed that the maximum sentence upon first conviction should be increased to six months, while subsequent convictions should see a prison sentence of up to 12 months.

Source: The Standard November 03, 2023 19:27 UTC