TAC welcomes completion of scrutiny of four pieces of subsidiary legislation regarding regulation of ride-hailing services
The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:
The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) welcomes the completion of scrutiny of the four pieces of subsidiary legislation relating to the regulation of ride-hailing services by the Legislative Council.
Photo source: reference image
With advancements in technology and changing travel patterns, booking and providing personalised point-to-point transport services through online channels have become an international trend. The TAC welcomes the Government's proposal to regulate ride-hailing services from three aspects, namely platforms, vehicles and drivers, in line with the three major policy objectives of "people-oriented, complementary coexistence and overall control", to safeguard passengers' safety and rights, and to meet and facilitate the public's travel needs.
The Chairman of the TAC, Professor Wong Sze-chun, Photo source: reference image
The Chairman of the TAC, Professor Wong Sze-chun, said, "The TAC expects that with the implementation of the regulatory regime for ride-hailing services, a healthy and sustainable competitive environment can be fostered in Hong Kong's overall personalised point-to-point transport services market. Within the public transport system of Hong Kong, taxis and ride-hailing services complement each other through their respective operating models, enabling a mutually beneficial coexistence and leveraging their own strengths to provide passengers with diverse travel options. The TAC supports the Government in conducting dynamic assessments in response to market developments and actual operational conditions after the implementation of the regulatory regime, and in reviewing in a timely manner whether adjustments to the number of ride-hailing vehicles are required."
Photo source: reference image
Government advances acquisition work of Wang Fuk Court at full speed
The Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, and the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, attended the meeting of the Finance Committee (FC) of the Legislative Council (LegCo) today (July 17) to seek extra funding approval of $1 billion to make the long-term housing arrangement available to the owners of Wang Chi House (Block H), Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Together with the $2.8 billion provided by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po and the $4 billion earmarked under the 2026-27 Budget for the acquisition of Blocks A to G of Wang Fuk Court, the Wang Fuk Court long-term housing arrangement plan will cover all eight blocks (Blocks A to H).
The Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, Photo source: reference image
The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, Photo source: reference image
Expressing gratitude to the FC for its approval of the funding, Mr Wong said that the Government will continue to advance the acquisition work of Wang Fuk Court at full speed.
As of yesterday (July 16), 90 per cent of the owners (1 786 flats) of the eight buildings of Wang Fuk Court (Blocks A to H) have submitted the duly signed "Letters of Acceptance". Among them, 1 565 letters came from the seven buildings from Blocks A to G, representing 90.1 per cent of the total number of flats in these seven blocks, while 221 letters came from Wang Chi House (Block H), representing about 89.1 per cent of the total number of flats in that block.
The Government has already signed the Agreement for Sale and Purchase with 769 owners, accounting for about 43 per cent of those who have submitted the duly signed "Letters of Acceptance".
Mr Wong said that during the FC meeting, a few LegCo Members have reflected that some residents are worried that their personal belongings remaining in the flats may not be retrievable upon transferring titles to the Government. In this connection, the Government had previously arranged for Wang Fuk Court residents to return to their flats to collect their personal belongings in two rounds. The Government is consolidating the relevant experience.
Mr Wong said that the Government has all along been striking a balance among empathy, rationality, and legality, with empathy as the priority. It will therefore adopt a people-oriented and flexible approach when addressing residents' requests for further retrieval of personal belongings from the flats. If individual residents have special needs to retrieve items left in the flats, they can make the requests through appropriate channels, including the Engagement Team and the "one social worker per household" service. The Government will consider such requests, taking into account the actual circumstances including the overall condition of the buildings, safety of the residents and working staff, as well as the substantial manpower and logistical support required, before handling the items inside the flats. The general direction is to provide opportunity for the residents to return to the flats to take their necessary belongings to tie in with their new accommodation arrangements as far as possible.
Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post
At the meeting, Mr Wong also mentioned to Members that the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has decided to enhance the rental grant arrangement for the owners of Wang Fuk Court.
Under the enhanced arrangement, regardless of which long-term housing arrangement option the owners have chosen, whether they have successfully purchased a flat, or even if they do not participate in the long-term housing arrangements, they will receive a rental grant totalling $300,000 over two years from December 22, 2025, to December 21, 2027. In addition, if owners opt to join the Special Sales Exercise, their eligibility for the rental grant will only cease three months after the date of the assignment of the new flat purchased. Rental grants disbursed need not be refunded, but no further grants will be disbursed thereafter.
The Engagement Team co-ordinated by the Housing Bureau will continue to maintain communication with owners of Wang Fuk Court. If there are any enquiries, owners may contact their designated Engagement Team member or call the hotline at 2129 8133. Owners may also visit the dedicated website for the long-term housing arrangements for Wang Fuk Court (www.hb.gov.hk/wfc) for further details.
Wang Fuk Court, Photo by Bastille Post
