“Lock them up, lock them up, lock…”
A Democratic Party lawmaker reckons a zero-tolerance approach is the only way to stamp out the bad behavior rife among Hong Kong’s cabbies.
Calling fines inadequate, Lam Cheuk-ting yesterday proposed jailing taxi drivers who overcharge passengers by more than HK$100 (US$13).
The lawmaker made the remarks during a press conference unveiling the results of a survey carried out by the party into bad taxi services, Now TV reports.
Lam said that so-called “black cab drivers” — a term used to describe badly-behaved taxi drivers — arrested during undercover police operations to stop overcharging were “just the tip of the iceberg,” positing the a culture of deception was entrenched.
“Many drivers pay the fines, but the income they earn from deceiving passengers is far higher than the fines imposed. Intimidation is not enough. Short-term imprisonment will have a much greater deterrent effect.”
Lam told reporters that badly-behaved cab drivers seriously harm the city’s image and the reputation of its taxi industry, adding that they shouldn’t be given the opportunity to deceive the public and tourists.
He said that those who overcharge by more than HK$100 should have their licenses suspended immediately for half a year in addition to some time in a lock-up to think about what they’ve done wrong.
Longer punishments, he added, should be meted out for repeat offenders to, once and for all, deter the practice of overcharging.
The survey — “which interviewed 565 people between July 31 and August 14 — found that 61 percent of people were dissatisfied with taxi services in Hong Kong.
Further, 66 percent agree that a penalty points system should be introduced, and 77 percent think that cab drivers who overcharge or breach taxi regulations should have their license suspended immediately, HK01 reported.
The survey results come after the government announced in May that they were mulling over a proposed demerits system for badly-behaved cab drivers.
Those plans are expected to be released in full this year. Under the proposal, penalties will be incurred by drivers who either overcharge, refuse hires, take unnecessarily long routes, fail to give correct change, loiter in no parking zones, or smoke in their cab.
