Hong Kong’s Transport Advisory Committee has signalled support for an initial cap of around 10,000 vehicle permits for ride-hailing services, with the committee’s chairman describing the figure as a reasonable starting point that can be adjusted over time based on assessment of market conditions.

Professor Wong Sze-chun, chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee, said after meeting government officials that the committee did not formally recommend a specific number, but made clear that several thousand permits would fall well short of public demand. “I expect the initial level to be somewhere around 10,000,” he said.

The recommendation comes as Hong Kong moves closer to launching its long-awaited ride-hailing regulatory regime, following the passage of the Road Traffic Amendment Ride-hailing Service Ordinance in October 2025. 

The government plans to table subsidiary legislation in the Legislative Council before lawmakers go on summer break in late July, with platform licence applications expected to open in the third quarter and vehicle and driver permits in the fourth quarter. The first licensed services are expected to begin operating by late 2026 at the earliest.

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The 10,000 figure sits between two opposing camps. Uber has pushed for 30,000 permits, warning that a lower quota could leave four in ten ride requests unfulfilled during peak hours, double waiting times and push fares up by as much as 70 percent. 

The taxi industry has proposed a far more restrictive cap of 3,600, arguing that a higher number would threaten drivers’ livelihoods. Public opinion, according to a government submission to the LegCo Transport Panel, favoured a range of 10,000 to 15,000.

The new framework will cover platforms currently operating in a regulatory vacuum, including Uber, Tada, Amap and Didi Chuxing. Ride-hailing services currently handle around 190,000 passengers daily across roughly 114,000 trips.