A demerit point system has been put in place for Hong Kong’s taxi drivers since Sunday, September 22, in a move to encourage drivers to improve their services. Our city has notoriously always faced complaints about rather belligerent taxi drivers with their penchant for being curt and surly, and sometimes refusing hires.
Officially called the Taxi-Driver-Offence Points Ordinance (TDOP), which was passed last year in December, this system covers 11 different offences which each get demerit points based on three levels of severity. For example, refusing to issue receipts upon request will incur three demerit points, while failure to take the most direct route to a customer’s destination is worth five points. More serious incursions such as overcharging, refusing a hire, or altering the metre will earn the driver 10 points.
Points are accumulative, and drivers who have 10 points or more will have to attend a service improvement course, or face a $5,000 fine and imprisonment for one month if they fail to complete the course. Drivers who have accumulated 15 points or more within two years will face three- and six-month bans from taxi driving, and have their taxi qualification revoked for subsequent demerits.
While the Transport Department emphasises in a statement that the TDOP is to target “black sheep in the taxi industry” and will work towards “enhancing the service quality and overall image of the trade”, the Legislative Council was not unanimous in their decision to pass this motion. Lawmaker Frankie Yick, who voted against the bill, stated that the 11 offences are already covered by existing legislation, which means the new TDOP system is essentially a “double penalty” for taxi drivers.
This demerit points system comes after a taxi fare increase came into effect in mid-July. One can only hope that this government decision will promote better service instead of driving taxi drivers into quitting the industry altogether. Customers who wish to file complaints against Hong Kong taxi drivers can do so via the Transport Complaints Unit’s electronic form or hotline, with the driver’s name, identity plate number, the taxi’s registration number, as well as the date, time, and location of the incident on hand.
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