Originally Posted by
kaka
And the so-called complaints will just get brushed aside anyways - people should take it to the police. you might need some ways to show you have the right taxi however, and a few hours for the statement.
Well, that's the thing, isn't it? How many people, especially tourists, are going to go to that trouble? Virtually none. Which is exactly what the drivers know and why it continues.
Under the road traffic regulations, it is an offence to overcharge taxi fare, refuse to hire or not to use the most direct practicable route. Upon conviction, offenders are liable to a maximum punishment of six-month imprisonment and a fine of HK$10,000.
“A one-thousand-dollar fine means nothing to drivers,” said transport-sector lawmaker Frankie Yick-Chi-ming. “Some of them earn tens of thousands per month.”
I'm inferring from that statement that a $1000 fine is a typical sentence handed down, and that, along with the low chances of prosecution, apparently doesn't provide much of a deterrent. Now, I don't think the solution is to fill up the jails with cabbies. But, how about this? First offence for the egregious taxi violations (failure to use the meter, or refusing a fare): $1000 fine and a 30-day suspension of the taxicab driver's license. Some types of violations, like speeding or unsafe driving, and perhaps charging for luggage that's close to the minimum size for such charge, can be subjective and are a matter of degree. But failure to use the meter or refusing a fare are fundamental to being a cab driver and are Yes/No violations, and impossible to commit without specific intent, such as due to lax attention. Drivers willing to commit them shouldn't be driving a taxi.