Labour Department highly concerned about fatal work accident that happened in Chek Lap Kok today
The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at an aircraft hangar in Chek Lap Kok this morning (July 27), where a male worker fell from the working platform of a fuselage dock while repairing an aircraft hull in the hangar. He was certified dead later in hospital. The LD is saddened by death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.
The LD's spokesman said, "We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued a suspension notice to the employer concerned, suspending the use of the fuselage dock concerned for aircraft maintenance work at the hangar. The employer cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that suitable measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken."
The spokesman added, "We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation."
To prevent workers from falling from height, the LD reminds employers to take adequate precautionary measures, including providing workers with suitable working platforms, which should be securely fenced by guardrails at a height of not less than 900 mm or otherwise suitably protected, so as to protect workers' safety while working at height.
The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years.
In regard to today's accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application "OSH 2.0", website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers' unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.
The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees' compensation under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees' compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should also co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size
The Transport Department (TD) today (July 27) said that the Government has been actively promoting the development of taxi fleets. Since Taxi Fleet Licences were issued in July 2025, the number of vehicles under the five taxi fleets, namely SynCab, Big Boss Taxi, Amigo, Big Bee Taxi and Joie, has continued to grow. Over 95 per cent of passengers who have used taxi fleet services provided positive feedback, noting that a wider selection of vehicle models, newer vehicles, spacious and tidy compartments and courteous drivers have delivered quality travel experiences for both local passengers and visitors.
Since the service commencement of the five taxi fleets, their vehicle numbers have continued to expand, with over 2 000 fleet taxis and about 2 400 fleet taxi drivers currently in service. As at end-May 2026, about 4.2 million trips in total had been completed by the five taxi fleets.
A spokesman for the TD said, "Taxi fleets have provided fresh vitality into the taxi industry and the personalised point-to-point transport services in Hong Kong in terms of vehicle age, vehicle models and the average age of drivers. Of note, all fleet taxis have already installed with a Global Positioning System, a dash camera and CCTV, leading the industry to enhance and reform service quality. We have been actively promoting the development of taxi fleets and rendering all-round support to assist fleet operators in solving operational challenges, including the engagement of drivers and taxi owners, enhancing fleet advantages and upholding service standards."
Multi-pronged approach to attract taxi owners and drivers
Apart from promoting the features of taxi fleets to all taxi owners to appeal for their participation, the TD actively liaised with relevant banks to provide assistance to taxi owners joining fleets in applying for the Dedicated 100% Loan Guarantee Scheme for Battery Electric Taxis. To date, over 200 applications have been facilitated, increasing the number of electric vehicles in the fleets and promoting green transport.
The five fleets have also implemented various measures to recruit drivers and taxi owners. Meanwhile, the TD assisted in arranging fleet operators to participate in over 20 regional and thematic job fairs organised by the Labour Department. This enabled operators to better explain to job seekers in detail their management, training and support for drivers, successfully attracting both existing drivers and new recruits. Over 100 drivers have joined the fleets through these events to date.
Enhancing fleet advantages
The TD coordinated with power companies and charging facility operators to optimise the layout of dedicated charging infrastructure for taxi fleets. Currently, the five fleets, together with charging operators, offer over 160 charging service points across the territory to facilitate the charging of electric taxis.
Furthermore, the TD has designated 95 dedicated fleet taxi stopping places across 16 locations, including the airport, some of the boundary control points, Hong Kong West Kowloon Station of the Express Rail Link, some of the Airport Express stations, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Phase II, the Exhibition Centre Station Public Transport Interchange and M+ Museum. Dedicated fleet taxi stopping places will also be set up at the Hong Kong Port Area of the new Huanggang Port. The TD has also taken the initiative to engage the hotel and tourism sectors, encouraging greater use of taxi fleet services. This has successfully fostered deep collaboration between fleets and major hotel groups to deliver quality service to visitors.
In addition, the TD coordinated the collaboration between Octopus and taxi fleets to participate in the "Easy Ride" hailing platform, creating an aggregated platform for all five fleets. Since its launch in recent months, "Easy Ride" has recorded over 400 000 visits, with over 10 000 taxis being connected with the platform. Nearly 40 per cent of orders were completed by taxi fleets, achieving an order completion rate of 76 per cent by taxi fleets. This reflects a positive response from taxi fleets with diversified passenger sources. Fleet drivers are also able to collaborate with different online hailing platforms to make pre-booking easier for passengers while increasing driver income.
Attracting younger drivers and ensuring service quality
Fleet operators maintain stringent criteria for selecting drivers and have established effective driver management and monitoring mechanisms. This has attracted many courteous, professional and younger new recruits, effectively improving the traditional image of the industry. The average age of drivers across the five fleets is only 47 now, much lower than the industry average of 60. Notably, 20 per cent of fleet drivers are aged between 30 and 39, bringing a fresh outlook to the trade. At the same time, fleet operators strictly monitor the service quality; all fleet vehicles are equipped with Driver Monitoring Systems to ensure service standards. Any non-compliant driver will be followed up seriously, and severe cases will result in immediate termination of engagement.
The TD closely monitors the service quality of taxi fleets, and with the effective driver management implemented by fleet operators, the number of complaints received is lower than that of non-fleet taxis, and the accident rate involved is also relatively lower.
The spokesperson added, "We will continue to provide all-round support to fleet operators to enhance service quality and drive each fleet toward the committed fleet sizes. We will also closely monitor the service quality, performance and standards of fleet operators, while keeping a close watch on public demand for taxi fleet services."
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Recognising quality services of taxi fleets with continuous support to achieve committed fleet size Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
