Remarks at media session after LegCo Ante Chamber exchange session (with photos/video)
TheDeputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, together with the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; and the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, met the media after attending the Ante Chamber exchange session at the Legislative Council this morning (January 8). Following are the remarks:
Reporter: What are the concerns about the Tourism Blueprint inside in today's meeting? And you have mentioned that you may impose some KPIs for cruise terminal operator. Will it deter other potential bidders, or kind of mount pressure for the current operator, and make the future tender difficult? Because if you are raising the bar and the market does not improve, it may be quite a high pressure.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: First of all, I thanked the Legislative Council and all the members that attended today. They expressed support and gave a lot of very valuable opinions and suggestions about the tourism blueprint 2.0 (Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0). Specifically regarding the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, I always expect the operator to do better. There is no best situation; there is only better operation. So this is my constant expectation. And in the new tendering exercise, of course we will be reviewing the criteria imposed so far. After all the cruise terminal has been in operation for more than 10 years, and the same operator has been operating the terminal, I know that society and of course myself and my colleagues in the CSTB (Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau) have different views on the operation of the cruise terminal and how it might be improved. This morning, members of the Legislative Council also gave us very valuable suggestions on how things it might be improved. So all these will be taken into account in the new tendering exercise.
Reporter: What other challenges were posed, or what else was talked about regarding the Tourism Blueprint? In terms of sports, what is the next step in terms of sports development?
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: For the tourism blueprint, I think this morning I heard suggestions or views regarding the Kai Tak Sports Park, the operation and how to utilise it to become a world-class location for mega events, the improvement of the operation of the cruise terminal, how to utilise our beautiful shoreline and island resources in a forwarding tourism, also the promotion of Hong Kong's tourism development, and also how to develop more hot spots for tourism all around Hong Kong. Regarding sports, I think a lot of concerns of course relate to how we can better utilise Hong Kong's position as the mega-event capital and also how we can present an attractive National Games in November of this year. Thank you.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
Remarks at media session after LegCo Ante Chamber exchange session Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Remarks at media session after LegCo Ante Chamber exchange session Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
C for T meets taxi trade and reiterates determination to continuously combat illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities and formulate legislative proposals on regulation of online car hailing platforms within 2025
The Commissioner for Transport, Ms Angela Lee, met with some 20 taxi trade representatives and Legislative Council Member concerned this afternoon (May 15), and exchanged views on their concerns about illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities, regulating online car hailing platforms and improving taxi service quality, reiterating the Government's determination to continuously combat illegal hire car services in accordance with the law and formulate legislative proposals on regulation of online car hailing platforms within 2025. Representatives of the Transport and Logistics Bureau also attended.
Trade representatives comprising various stakeholders, including trade associations, taxi dealers, taxi fleet operators and vehicle owners, attended the meeting. Ms Lee said, "Combating illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities, regulating online car hailing platforms and improving taxi service are the common goals of both the Government and the trade. We had candid exchanges at the meeting and we understand the taxi trade's concern regarding online car hailing platforms and illegal hire car activities. The Government is determined to continuously combat illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities with a view to protecting the safety and interests of the public."
The Transport Department (TD) sternly pointed out that any online car hailing platform operator providing carriage of passengers for reward services must comply with the laws and regulations. The Hong Kong Police Force have been continuously combating illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward across the territory during the past several months. Appropriate enforcement actions will be taken immediately for cases with sufficient evidence and enforcement actions are ongoing. Meanwhile, the Government is proactively studying legislative amendments, so that vehicles involved in the offence of illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward can be impounded even if the driver's identity cannot be confirmed, heightening the deterrent effect against illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities.
In addition, the TD has stepped up publicity on the penalties of illegal carriage of passengers for reward. For the first conviction, the maximum fine is $10,000 with six months of imprisonment while the vehicle licence concerned will be suspended and the vehicle will be impounded for six months. Drivers are urged not to defy the law. Further, passengers using illegal hire car services may be at risk, as the vehicle's third party insurance may become invalid in case of a traffic accident.
At the meeting, the taxi trade also made suggestions on regulating online car hailing platforms and their vehicles and drivers. Ms Lee said that the Government is actively conducting a study on the overall demand and supply of personalised point-to-point transport services. She stressed that the service sustainability will be taken into account, meeting passengers' needs for point-to-point services while safeguarding passenger safety and upholding service quality. The Government will holistically consider the report to be submitted by the Working Group for Enhancing Personalised Point-to-Point Transport Services under the Transport Advisory Committee, the views collected including the taxi trade's views and relevant data in formulating legislative proposals on regulation of online car hailing platforms and licensing requirements for their vehicles and drivers within 2025, aiming to promote the platforms' operations in a regulated manner.
Ms Lee was pleased to note that the taxi trade representatives shared the need to act in concert to improve taxi service quality, including pressing ahead for the taxi fleets' completion of gearing-up work for the commissioning of their services by end-July 2025, thereby improving passengers' riding experiences and enhancing the trade's competitiveness. The TD will continue to maintain close communication with the taxi trade to achieve the common goal of bringing mutual benefits to the transport sector and commuters at large.
C for T meets taxi trade and reiterates determination to continuously combat illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities and formulate legislative proposals on regulation of online car hailing platforms within 2025 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
