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Hong Kong opens ride-hailing licence applications under new rules
Applicants must submit audited financial reports for the past three years and show at least HK$50 million in capital, including HK$30 million in bank deposits.
Hong Kong authorities have opened licence applications for ride-hailing platforms under a new regulatory scheme, with Transport Department criteria aimed at ensuring operators and vehicles meet defined compliance and operational standards. The department said eligibility requires a proven track record providing legal services in cities with populations above 7.5 million, alongside handling more than 100,000 daily orders in at least two cities.
As part of the rules announced on Friday, the scheme requires technology such as facial recognition to support due diligence checks, including verification that vehicles are driven by their registered owners with valid permits. The goal, according to a department spokesman, is to require relevant licences and permits for platforms, vehicles and drivers, to offer the public “safer and compliant choices” for point-to-point transport.
Under the regulations, applicants must be Hong Kong-registered companies with permanent executive personnel and an office in the city. Operators must also provide audited financial reports for the past three years, maintain capital of at least HK$50 million, including at least HK$30 million in bank deposits, and secure a credit line of HK$30 million.
The Transport Department also requires operators to submit operational data for each trip to the government at specified intervals, using specified methods and formats, and to store that data in Hong Kong. The application details were released alongside the start of the licensing process.