The government will keep collecting views from car-hailing platforms and the taxi trade before deciding how many ride-hailing licences to issue, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday.

Lee was asked before an Executive Council meeting how the number will be set amid concerns over not having enough vehicles for ride-hailing services or the impact on the taxi trade.

The chief executive said officials will take into consideration a number of factors in order to strike the right balance.

“First, address the public travel needs so that their riding experience remains more or less the same. Second, take into account Hong Kong's unique circumstances, including road capacity and the fact that nearly 90 percent of daily passenger trips are made using public transport services. Third, establish a mechanism to monitor actual market operations and data, conduct dynamic assessments and reviews,” he said.

After considering views from all parties and the relevant data, officials will submit subsidiary legislation to the Legislative Council within the first half of this year, Lee added.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden