Bastille's Feature | New Rules, More Rides: Octopus Mobile Users Hit Nearly Half of Hong Kong

Since the mandatory e-payment requirement for taxis took effect on April 1 in Hong Kong, Octopus Cards Limited, the local market leader in electronic payments, has rolled out a commercial app and mobile payment terminals that support QR code payments. The corporation revealed that user activity on its "Octopus Easy Ride" ride-hailing platform has surged 1.8 times since launch, alongside a sharp rise in ride-hailing orders.

Ms. Nora Tang, Director of Transport Business at Octopus Cards Limited, Photo by Bastille Post

In an interview with Bastille Post, Ms. Nora Tang, Director of Transport Business at Octopus Cards Limited, said the Octopus app has been downloaded over six million times, and the number of mobile Octopus users now stands at roughly three million, approaching half of Hong Kong's population. She noted that since the platform launched, user activity has increased more than 1.8 times compared to the first day, and order volumes have risen significantly, especially on days when bad weather makes hailing a taxi difficult.

Multiple QR Code Payment Options Supported

According to the new regulation introduced by the government on April 1, all taxi drivers are required to offer a "1+1" electronic payment package, at least two payment methods for passengers, including one non-QR code option (such as Octopus card, credit card, or FPS) and one QR code option (such as AlipayHK, WeChat Pay HK, or BoC Pay).

In response, Octopus has launched the "Octopus for Business" app and "Octopus Mobile POS" for drivers, supporting Octopus Wallet, AlipayHK, WeChat Pay HK, WeChat Pay, PayMe, and UnionPay QR codes.

"Octopus Easy Ride" Offers Multiple Ride Choices

Octopus also introduced "Octopus Easy Ride" on April 22, with the goal of accelerating the digitalization of local taxi services. According to Ms. Tang, the platform currently integrates five taxi fleets across Hong Kong, totaling about 8,000 taxis, and offers a wide range of vehicle options, including standard four-seaters, six-seater luxury vehicles, and wheelchair-accessible taxis.

She said that citizens simply need to download the Octopus app and book a taxi within the familiar interface, without having to download multiple ride-hailing apps, which significantly improves both the success rate and convenience of booking a ride.

The "Octopus Easy Ride" platform currently integrates five taxi fleets across Hong Kong, totaling about 8,000 taxis, and offers a wide range of vehicle options. Photo source: Octopus

While the platform handles order dispatch smoothly, both drivers and passengers are still adjusting to the operation. Drivers need time to familiarize themselves with the order-taking process and travel-time estimates, while passengers are also getting used to the new booking rules.

Ms. Tang pointed out that many drivers in the industry are elderly and may not be tech-savvy. That's why the "Octopus Easy Ride" platform connects five local taxi fleets, licensed ride-hailing platforms, and various chambers of commerce and fleet groups. These groups use their own resources to organize fleets, while "Octopus Easy Ride" provides them access to Octopus's large customer base. "This significantly lowers the barrier for drivers to participate in ride-hailing and gives them an additional, stable source of income alongside traditional street-hailing," she explained.

Fixed Pricing Helps Reduce Disputes

"Octopus Easy Ride" uses a fixed-price mechanism. Ms. Tang explained that each fleet sets a capped fare based on pickup location, destination, real-time traffic conditions, and its own operating costs. Passengers can see quotes from different fleets when booking, and if the final fare from the matched fleet is lower, the platform refunds the difference.

The five local taxi fleets cooperated with the platform, Photo source: Octopus

"This mechanism effectively reduces disputes over detours, traffic jams, or meter fares, ensuring fairness for both passengers and drivers," she said. The platform also uses taxi meter rates as a benchmark to prevent cutthroat price competition and maintain a healthy industry ecosystem. Currently, the platform does not allow passengers to change their destination after boarding. If needed, they can cancel the ride and negotiate with the driver to use the traditional meter.

Some media tests have shown that "Octopus Easy Ride" fares are typically a few tens of dollars higher than street-hailed taxis. Ms. Tang acknowledged that passengers want lower prices, but noted that drivers also face operating costs such as car rental, charging, and fuel. "The platform aims to strike a balance between the two," she said. From now until June 30, 2026, every "Octopus Easy Ride" customer can receive a coupon worth up to HK$100.

Driver and Transaction Fees Waived

Ms. Tang said Octopus will continue to work with local taxi groups to bring more fleets onto the platform and will keep driver and transaction fees waived, supporting drivers who use the "Octopus for Business" app and "Octopus Mobile POS." Starting this June, the monthly transfer limit from the app to personal Octopus cards will be significantly raised to HK$40,000, improving cash flow. The platform will also gradually add new features, including more vehicle options and enhanced support for visitors to Hong Kong.

Octopus Cards Limited, Photo by Bastille Post

She also mentioned that Octopus first launched an overseas version of "Octopus Easy Ride" last May in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan, mainly to provide Hong Kong residents with a seamless ride-hailing experience while traveling abroad, allowing them to solve problems using a familiar app and Cantonese-speaking customer service. Since its launch, usage of the overseas version has more than quadrupled. The Hong Kong version has been adapted based on that experience, with a greater focus on collaboration with local fleets and groups to lower the barriers for driver participation.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine authorities said Tuesday they will temporarily block an online gaming app that one of two students blamed for a deadly school shooting has avidly used, to assess whether it played a role in fostering such violence.

Three students were killed and 20 others were wounded when the two suspects, aged 14 and 15 and armed with a handgun each, opened fire Monday at the San Jose National High School in central Tacloban city.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said its decision to block Gorebox was prompted by an ongoing police investigation which showed that one suspect was an avid user of the app, adding that this will allow authorities to determine “whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects.”

The decision would be enforced starting Tuesday, undersecretary Aboy Paraiso of the cybercrime center said in a statement.

“We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident,” Paraiso said, without specifying how long the app will be blocked.

The gaming app was launched in 2023 and has been marketed as “a physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction,” the center said.

Paraiso did not say what action might be taken if a government assessment concludes that the app promotes violence among users.

“Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,” Paraiso said. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of Filipino children exposed to the internet."

Crimes involving the use of firearms are prevalent in the Philippines, partly due to the proliferation of unlicensed firearms, but school shootings are relatively rare.

Regional police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said the suspects have told investigators they staged the attack to retaliate for being bullied in school. He and other police officials, however, said a thorough investigation ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will look at all possibilities based on witnesses and evidence, including the possible influence of online groups promoting rebellion and violent behavior among youth.

One suspect got the 9 mm pistol from an aunt, a police officer, who was being investigated. The other suspect had a .38 caliber revolver obtained from an employee of a security agency. They managed to bring the guns onto the campus because it had inadequate security for the school’s 1,600 students, police said.

In one video of the attack posted online, students hiding under desks in a shut classroom can be heard screaming and weeping as gunshots are heard outside. Some called their mothers.

The dead and wounded were all students, police said, adding that investigators recovered at least 40 shell casings at the scene.

The suspects were to be turned over to government welfare officers after the investigation because of their age.

The 14-year-old would be exempt from criminal prosecution under a 2006 Philippine law that sets the minimum age of 15 for a minor to be criminally liable and only if authorities determine that a suspect was clearly aware of the crime that was committed and its repercussions.

A police vehicle enters San Jose National High School a day after a shooting incident inside the school in Tacloban city, central Philippines, on Monday June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Panfilo Vallejera)