Police will conduct visible patrols, send undercover officers posing as passengers and monitor suspicious taxis around Lan Kwai Fong and Peak Tram Upper Station during the National Day holiday. The operation will target overcharging, refusing passengers, soliciting and other illegal practices, in cooperation with the Hong Kong Taxi Council.
The Central District police unit said it carried out 65 operations from July to September, arresting three taxi drivers and issuing eight summonses and more than 180 fixed-penalty tickets. Five vehicles involved in the cases were towed for inspection.
In one early-September undercover operation, police said a driver demanded HK$350 for a journey from Garden Road to Peak Tram Upper Station — five times the normal metered fare. The driver was arrested and the vehicle was towed for inspection.
Taxi ambassadors will be deployed during busy periods around Lan Kwai Fong, including Wellington Street and Stanley Street, and at Peak Tram Upper Station. Their information cards record the expected fare, taxi registration number and destination, and include a QR code for reporting suspected illegal taxis. Police have advised passengers to keep their taxi receipts and report suspected offences.