Government Finalizes Ride-Hailing Regulations Ahead of August Implementation Date

Scrutiny of four pieces of subsidiary legislation relating to regulation of ride-hailing services completed

The Government announced today (July 16) that scrutiny of the four pieces of subsidiary legislation relating to the regulation of ride-hailing services has been completed. The Legislative Council (LegCo) has also completed the motion debate to take note of the above-mentioned subsidiary legislation.

The Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Service) Ordinance 2025 (Amendment Ordinance) passed by the LegCo in October 2025 establishes a legal framework for the regulation of ride-hailing services. To further implement the regulatory regime, the Government submitted four pieces of subsidiary legislation to the LegCo on May 27 this year to stipulate the details of the regulatory regime (including the validity period and renewal arrangements for licences/permits, various fees, the types of records that licensed platforms are required to keep, etc), introduce a combined driving test for taxis and ride-hailing vehicles, specify the limit on the number of ride-hailing vehicle permits, as well as prescribe the commencement dates of the various provisions of the Amendment Ordinance. Most of the legal provisions relating to the regulatory regime for ride-hailing services will come into effect on August 3 this year, while the remaining legal provisions will come into effect on August 22, 2027.

A spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "As the related legal provisions will come into effect on August 3 this year, the Transport Department (TD) will commence various work at full speed, including inviting applications for licences/permits for platforms, vehicles and drivers and issuing licences/permits. The TD will launch a dedicated webpage on ride-hailing services tomorrow (July 17) to facilitate interested persons' understanding of the relevant information.

"The Government plans to invite interested platform companies to apply for a ride-hailing service licence in August this year at the earliest, and to invite applications for ride-hailing vehicle permits and start accepting applications for ride-hailing vehicle driving permits in the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest. We expect to start issuing ride-hailing service licences as early as the end of November this year in phases, so that licensed platforms can commence their preparatory work immediately. This includes recruiting owner-drivers who hold valid permits to register with the platform and undergo verification. Meanwhile, the TD will closely monitor the preparatory work and operations of the licensed platforms, and require the licensed platforms to provide operational data to ensure that their operations comply with the various requirements stipulated under the law and licence conditions. Details of the application arrangements for the various licences/permits will be announced later," the spokesperson added.

Moreover, to facilitate those who wish to join the personalised point-to-point transport service industry, the TD will launch the combined driving test for taxis and ride-hailing vehicles on August 3 this year, and the test will be opened for applications on the same day. The first batch of candidates are expected to take the enhanced combined written test from mid-September this year onwards. Same as the existing taxi written test, the combined written test for taxis and ride-hailing vehicles comprises two parts. Part A mainly assesses candidates' basic knowledge of providing taxi services and ride-hailing passenger transport services, as well as practical knowledge such as prominent places and routes, whereas Part B assesses candidates' understanding of the Road Users' Code.

Persons who have passed the combined written test for taxis and ride-hailing vehicles, and completed the pre-service course for taxi drivers or ride-hailing vehicle drivers, depending on the pre-service course completed, may apply to the TD for a full driving licence to drive a taxi or a ride-hailing vehicle driving permit. Persons holding a valid taxi driving licence may apply to the TD for a ride-hailing vehicle driving permit directly without having to sit for any written test again or take the pre-service course for ride-hailing vehicle drivers.

In addition, to strengthen efforts to combat illegal carriage of passengers for reward, the Amendment Ordinance stipulates that drivers convicted of an offence relating to illegal carriage of passengers for reward should be disqualified for not less than 12 months and up to three years. The related provisions will come into effect on August 3 this year, with a view to enhancing the deterrent effect and better safeguarding the safety and interests of passengers.

Source: AI-found images

Employers, contractors and employees should be aware of electrical safety at work during rainstorms

As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.

A spokesman for the LD said today (July 17) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (such as electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.

Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by a rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent an electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:

(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;

(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm that it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;

(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;

(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and

(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.

In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.

The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).

Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.

Source: AI-found images