30th October 2026 – (Hong Kong) Applications for ride-hailing service licences — the new platform permits — closed this afternoon, with the Transport Department saying it had received eight bids and calling the industry response active.
An assessment committee will put recommendations to the Commissioner for Transport, with a view to publishing the list of qualified platforms within this year. Among operators that have publicly confirmed filing are mainland ride-hailing leaders DiDi and Amap (Gaode Map), Singapore-based TADA and Uber.
The department said the panel drawing members from the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Digital Policy Office and the Transport Department itself will examine each dossier in detail. Criteria cover fleet management, booking-platform services, launch plans, service pledges, customer care, experience running ride-hailing platforms, financial strength and capital commitment, due diligence to ensure owners and drivers meet “person-vehicle binding” rules, and concrete schemes to encourage drivers to deliver more ride-hailing trips.
A Transport Department spokesman said the government aims to lift personalised point-to-point transport overall, giving passengers more safe, lawful and diversified choices while fostering healthy competition for the industry’s long-term growth. Every application will be assessed carefully so that licensed platforms have the operational and financial capacity to keep providing safe, reliable and efficient services.
DiDi submitted at the deadline and has already rolled out driver support, including discounted pre-service courses with qualified training bodies and dedicated training classes to help intending drivers prepare for the new regime’s requirements. The company said it hoped to use its operating experience under the new system to support taxis and ride-hailing coexisting and complementing each other, offering residents and visitors safe, dependable trips.
Uber said yesterday that it had filed, welcomed a clear and formal regulatory framework, and would keep talking to the government while cooperating fully through the licensing process. It hoped to continue offering convenient, reliable travel under the new rules. The firm also said it had enlarged its dedicated support team and was providing training and written-test preparation to help drivers move into the regulated environment.