Base taxi fares in Hong Kong could increase by up to 20% if the government approves an application recently submitted by the city’s taxi operators. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the proposed increases will range from HK$4.5 to HK$5, and cover all three cabs — Urban (red), New Territories (green), and Lantau (blue) — for a minimum 2 km distance.
According to documents submitted to the Transport Department, taxi operators have asked that the flag fall charges on red taxis be increased to HK$32, up by 18.5% from the current HK$27. Minimum rates for green cabs may go from HK$23.5 to HK$28, an increase of 19.1%. Fares for blue taxis could be hiked to HK$26.5 from HK$22, amounting to a 20.5% increase.
| TAXI TYPE | CURRENT FARE | PROPOSED FARES |
| Urban (red) | HK$27 | HK$32 |
| New Territories (green) | HK$23.5 | HK$28 |
| Lantau (blue) | HK$22 | HK$26.5 |
The proposal also covers incremental charges for all cabs, regardless of the distance. Currently, the city’s red taxis command the highest such charges, with passengers paying HK$1.9 every 200 metres or one minute of waiting time until the fare reaches HK$93.5. Green and blue taxi passengers are charged HK$1.7 until the fare touches HK$74.5 and HK$175 respectively.
The last time that cab rates in Hong Kong were increased was in July 2022. However, the city’s urban taxi operators applied for an additional HK$6 increase in base fares the following November, which was not approved.
Last year, three Hong Kong ferry operators applied for fare increases of up to 100%. However, the fares were only increased by a maximum of 19%, and came into effect in September 2023. In June, five of the city’s bus operators also hiked fares by up to 7%.
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