Uber shuts down FlyTaxi, second metered cab platform it acquired in Hong Kong
Online ride-hailing giant Uber will close a second Hong Kong metered taxi platform that it acquired by the end of this year, just over six months after it bought out the business. Uber said on Friday that it would fully integrate the services on FlyTaxi into its own platform by the end of the year, saying it aimed to provide “optimal” support for drivers and users. “As part of this integration,…
Uber, the leading online ride-hailing company, announced plans to shut down FlyTaxi, its second metered cab platform in Hong Kong, by the end of the year. This move follows its acquisition of the business just over six months ago. The company intends to fully integrate FlyTaxi's services into its own platform, aiming to provide "optimal" support for drivers and users.
Uber assured drivers that their accumulated points and account balances from the 13-year-old FlyTaxi app would be fully refunded, encouraging them to switch to Uber, where they could benefit from a larger client base and more earning opportunities. FlyTaxi was the second local taxi-hailing platform acquired by Uber after HKTaxi in 2021.
Both platforms were founded in 2013, one year before Uber entered the Hong Kong market. FlyTaxi and HKTaxi were required to meet specific criteria for licensing, including handling an average of 100,000 orders per day for a year in at least two other cities similar in size to Hong Kong. The authorities set a cap on ride-hailing vehicle permits at 10,000, far below Uber's proposal of 30,000.
This decision comes amid new legislation to regulate and license the ride-hailing industry in Hong Kong.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
