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Tuesday, June 20, 2017, 01:11
Survey finds overwhelming support for Uber
By Wang Yuke
Tuesday, June 20, 2017, 01:11 By Wang Yuke

HONG KONG - A survey has found Hong Kong residents overwhelmingly support innovative car-hailing service Uber despite controversy over its role in the city. 

A poll by the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey (CCPOS), commissioned by Uber Hong Kong, found 76 percent of respondents of all ages said they needed such point-to-point traffic service alternatives as Uber.

Further breaking down those surveyed, more than 86 percent of younger respondents, aged 18 to 39, welcoming the transport option. 

More than 90 percent of young respondents urged the government to support the transport innovation. Most respondents believed the government had not done enough to encourage novel technologies and services. They called for a specified framework to regulate Uber to make it legally viable.

Kenneth She, general manager of Hong Kong Operations for Uber, did not deny that Uber was legally questionable in Hong Kong at present. But he argued that “it is because there is no framework currently in Hong Kong to support this transportation service”.

Despite all the uncertainties Uber now faces, She has high hopes. The public’s positive outlook on innovative car-hailing services could encourage the government to listen to people’s wishes, he said.

And people’s views that Hong Kong lagged behind in facilitating innovative technologies compared with other cities in Asia could alert the government to step up efforts to put Uber’s case into perspective, he stressed.

Uber is now legal in London, according to a ruling handed down by the British High Court in 2015. 

According to statistics provided by Uber in March, a million people in the city of 7.3 million had downloaded the app and more than 30,000 had registered as drivers. 

She blasted the government’s lame efforts in updating the permit application system. Seeking a taxi license is out of reach for Uber drivers because it is prohibitively expensive. Another option is to apply for a hire-car permit but their drivers’ past attempts to apply were futile, “because the rules of application are too outdated (to suit Uber drivers’ case)”.

According to the rule, a permit will be issued to drivers who can prove their cars are used to carry guests of a designated hotel, clients of a designated tourist agent, or clients of a contracted company. Therefore, only those who are attached to a hotel or a travel agency and can present the contract with the company have a chance to secure the permit. Operating without the permit is deemed a criminal offense under the Road Traffic Ordinance.

Offenders could be fined HK$5,000 and three months’ imprisonment on first conviction, and HK$10,000 and six months’ imprisonment on subsequent conviction.

Uber’s call was echoed by the city’s outgoing Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung. He voiced support for proposals to amend the relevant laws in a radio program. “Every industry has to abide by the laws in Hong Kong. But, if the policy objective behind our legislation goes too far, and is making it difficult for a ‘sharing economy’ to develop here, shouldn’t we consider amending the law?” he asked.

Invest Hong Kong, the city's official body for attracting overseas investment, had praised the ride-hailing app company’s entry to Hong Kong but changed its attitude after a police raid on Uber Hong Kong and an undercover arrest of five drivers in 2015.

In March this year, the five drivers were found guilty of illegally offering car-hailing services with the conviction of not having proper licenses and insurances.

In May, a total of 22 Uber drivers were arrested for the same reason in a three-week undercover police operation that ended with a series of raids across Hong Kong. 

At this stage, She claimed, Uber persisted in providing as much support as it could for their drivers, advising and assisting them in any lawsuit case. He acknowledged that there had been successful cases of insurance claims among their drivers since the insurance company AIG signed a contract with Uber last October promising to provide third-party coverage worth up to HK$100 million for any ride-sharing trip.

jenny@chinadailyhk.com

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