Hong Kong police are investigating suspected illegal work linked to ride-hailing services on navigation platform Amap, following allegations that a mainland Chinese driver accepted orders without local identification documents.
Police confirmed to HKFP on Wednesday that a man had filed a report two days earlier, complaining about suspected illegal work involving the use of a private vehicle for carrying passengers for hire.
The case has been passed to the traffic unit of the New Territories South headquarters, and no arrests have been made so far, police said.
The police force said it would continue to allocate appropriate resources to combat illegal car hire, in accordance with “operational priorities.”
“Where sufficient evidence is available, appropriate prosecutions will be initiated,” police said in an email.
A user posted on Threads on Monday, saying that he requested a ride via Alipay, which connected him to ride-hailing services on Amap. After boarding the car, the passenger realised the driver was a mainland Chinese man who only spoke Mandarin and could not understand Cantonese.
Videos uploaded to the Threads post showed the passenger repeatedly asking the driver if he had a Hong Kong identity card, to which the driver replied, “No.” When asked if he could work as a driver without local identification documents, the driver said he had entered Hong Kong with a “business visit” permit, adding that the car was provided by his “boss,” without specifying their identity.
The driver also said that Amap did not require him to provide a Hong Kong identity card.
“You don’t even know the roads in Tsuen Wan. You are basically a ticking time bomb on Hong Kong roads,” the Threads post read.
A screenshot shared by the Threads user showed that the driver had accepted more than 370 orders on Amap. It is unclear whether all the trips took place in Hong Kong.
The Threads user said he filed a police report after reaching his destination, and the police contacted him to give a statement on Tuesday.
According to the Immigration Department’s website, a business visit permit is intended for mainland residents who wish to make business trips to the city in their private capacity. The permit can be valid for a single journey or multiple journeys for a period ranging from three months to one year, with each stay not exceeding 14 days.
The permit allows the holder to engage in business-related activities during the trip, such as signing contracts, submitting tenders, taking part in exhibitions or trade fairs, and attending business meetings.
It does not allow the permit holder to take up any paid or unpaid employment. Offenders are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and imprisonment for up to two years.
Earlier this month, a mainland Chinese man was jailed for two months for offering ride-hailing services via Amap and breaching his conditions of stay as a travel permit holder.
Ride-hailing apps currently operate in a grey area in Hong Kong, which requires vehicles offering such services to have a hire car permit. Private vehicle owners who sign up with online platforms without a permit face a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine for a first offence.
There has been no major law enforcement operation targeting ride-hailing drivers, although some have been arrested. Meanwhile, ride-hailing services – especially Uber – have grown in popularity amid long-standing dissatisfaction with taxi services.
Last month, the government submitted a legislative proposal to regulate ride-hailing services. The authorities suggested capping the number of ride-hailing cars allowed in the city, but the proposal did not specify a limit.
