A representative of the taxi trade said on Tuesday that more publicity may be needed for a new service which allows designated drivers to take travellers from the airport to quarantine hotels.

The service started on Monday and runs daily from 8am to 2am.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association Chow Kwok-keung told an RTHK programme that each driver made an average of two to three trips on the first day of the service, but this was not enough to cover the operational costs.

“In fact, if each driver made two trips on average, it wasn’t enough. As we know, they have to pay rent for the vehicle as well as fuel. If each driver works a 12-hour shift, the hourly rate is only around a hundred dollars,” he said.

“So, we hope that as the media tell more people about it, perhaps the service will become more popular over time, and hopefully drivers’ income could go up,” said Chow.

Drivers providing the service have to wear full protective gear and clean the compartments of the taxis after every trip, an arrangement Chow described as understandable and manageable.