{
  "id": 14414329,
  "title": "3 Hong Kong taxi drivers banned for 3 months under demerit points system",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/3-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-banned-for-3-months-under-demerit-points",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T09:27:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3370878/3-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-banned-3-months-under-demerit-points-system"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Three Hong Kong taxi drivers have been stripped of their licenses for three months under the city's demerit points system, according to Transport Secretary Mable Chan. The penalty system, in place for two years, penalizes drivers for various misconducts, with 10 demerit points being the maximum. Accumulating 15 or more demerit points within two years can lead to a suspension. Since the system's implementation in September 2024, 229 taxi drivers have incurred demerit points, with 125 cases involving refusal to accept a hire. The three disqualified drivers received 15 demerit points or more. Overcharging passengers, failing to accept a hire, or refusing to drive to a specified location can result in the maximum 10 demerit points. Drivers amassing 10 demerit points or more must complete an improvement course. Chan acknowledged the need to review green taxi service arrangements, citing concerns over green taxis' availability during peak hours and the repeated refusals of urban taxi alternatives. The Transport Department received 5,944 complaints about taxi drivers in August, including 605 related to \"refusing a hire,\" 860 for overcharging, and 874 for indirect routes.",
  "summary": "Three Hong Kong taxi drivers have been disqualified from driving cabs for three months after accumulating 15 demerit points or more under a penalty system in place for two years, the transport chief has said, disclosing such figures for the first time. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Wednesday that since the mechanism took effect in September 2024, 229 taxi drivers had…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Thaiger",
        "title": "Thai women among 16 arrested in Hong Kong prostitution network",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/thai-women-among-16-arrested-in-hong-kong-prostitution-network",
        "published": "2026-10-14T03:00:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
        "title": "Domestic helper charged with murdering 93-year-old employer in Hong Kong",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/domestic-helper-charged-with-murdering-93-year-old-employer-in-hong",
        "published": "2026-10-14T07:29:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}