In the case that you, or someone you know, has contracted Covid-19, moving around the city can be risky for others in Hong Kong. In order to reduce the chances of spreading the disease, the city’s Transport and Housing Bureau has recruited 300 cabs to act as a designated taxi fleet transporting Covid-19 patients to and from Hong Kong’s seven designated clinics in Shau Kei Wan, Kennedy Town, San Po Kong, Kowloon Bay, Kwai Chung, Sha Tin and Tin Shui Wai, completely free of charge.
The fleet of 300 designated cabs will begin operations on Friday, February 18 at 7am. These special taxis will be labelled with a blue and white striped sticker that reads ‘designated for anti-epidemic; pre-booking required’ in Chinese text only. All tagged cabs will run without a taximeter and can be booked via the online portal designatedtaxihk.com or by phone at 3693 4770 between 8am and 10pm daily. Once the order is confirmed, patients are only allowed to sit in the back seat of the vehicle to reduce contact with the driver.
Drivers who are set to earn $3,000 a day will be transporting these patients will be wearing protective gear and undergo daily rapid antigen testing. All cabs will be disinfected daily too. To be eligible as a designated cab driver, individuals must test negative. Drivers who are part of the designated fleet are not to pick up any other passengers and those who have not booked, or are not Covid-19 patients, should refrain from getting on these taxis.
For further information about social distancing in Hong Kong, check out our guide to learn more.
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