Faulty devices, low battery: some taxi drivers cook up excuses to avoid e-payments

AdvertisementHong Kong transportHong KongTransportFaulty devices, low battery: some taxi drivers cook up excuses to avoid e-payments‘Cash is king’ mentality persists, experts say, as some cabbies fear income trail will lead to taxation or loss of eligibility for public housing 3-MIN READ3-MIN2 ListenOscar LiuPublished: 12:00pm, 18 Apr 2026Some passengers have been unable to use any mandatory e-payment options on Hong Kong taxis, as cabbies cited faulty machines or battery problems, reasons that customers have deemed as excuses as the “cash is king” mentality persisted. Experts said this week that many taxi drivers still held a deep-seated fear of having a traceable income record, which could lead to taxation or the loss of eligibility for public housing. Lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung told the South China Morning Post that many passengers had complained to him since the law mandating electronic payments came into force on April 1, saying they had encountered a slew of excuses from drivers who claimed to be unable to offer the service. Advertisement“I noticed some drivers have e-payment machines in their bags, but they keep them hidden away, only bringing them out when asked, at which point they use excuses like no battery, not knowing how to use them, or saying the machine is broken, et cetera, to turn customers away,” Chong said on Tuesday. All 47,000 cabbies of the city’s 18,000 taxis must offer passengers at least a QR code option and an alternative e-payment method to cater to different commuter needs. Those who fail to comply face a HK$5,000 (US$640) fine and up to six months’ imprisonment. AdvertisementLai Chin-pang, 43, who works at an advertising agency, said his experience of using e-payments for taxi rides was “mostly pleasant” in the past two weeks, despite being asked to pay in cash a few times. AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x