从车队和司机老龄化，到优步等网约车平台的渗透，全球出租车服务面临诸多挑战。在香港，司机抱怨面临不公平竞争和监管改革压力。与此同时，他们仍是拒载、服务态度恶劣、乱收费和绕道行驶等投诉的对象。
From ageing fleets and drivers to the likes of Uber making inroads, taxi services around the world face an array of challenges. In Hong Kong, drivers complain about unfair competition and regulatory reform pressure. At the same time, they continue to be the target of complaints in relation to refusing rides, rude service, overcharging and taking circuitous routes.
为此，政府采取措施规范网约车平台，并引入优质出租车车队以提升服务质量，同时推出强制培训和扣分取消驾驶资格制度。
In response, the government has taken steps to regulate ride-hailing platforms and introduce premium taxi fleets to enhance service quality, along with compulsory training and disqualification from driving cabs under a demerit point system.
执法两年来，“出租车司机违例扣分制度”已见成效。根据提交立法会的数据，截至10月2日，共有229名出租车司机被记扣分，其中125宗（占55%）涉及拒载。三名司机因累积15分或以上被取消驾驶出租车资格三个月。
Two years into enforcement, the Taxi-Driver-Offence Points system has produced some results. As of October 2, a total of 229 taxi drivers had incurred demerit points, with 125 cases, or 55 per cent, involving a refusal to accept a hire. Three drivers were disqualified for three months after incurring 15 points or more, according to data submitted to the Legislative Council.
该制度于2024年9月推出，旨在加强对司机不当行为的威慑力，从而提升服务质量和行业整体形象。出租车司机因11类不当行为每项可被记3分、5分或10分，在两年内累积15分或以上可被取消驾驶出租车资格三个月。累犯将面临六个月停驾。
Introduced in September 2024, the system aims to strengthen the deterrent effect on driver malpractice, thereby enhancing service quality and the overall image of the trade. Taxi drivers will receive three, five or 10 demerit points for each of the 11 types of misconduct and can be disqualified from driving a taxi for three months upon accumulating 15 points or more within two years. Repeat offenders face a six-month suspension.
在229宗个案中，158宗（约70%）累积了10至14分，另有5宗达到15分或以上。13名司机累积3分，53名司机累积5至9分。累积10分或以上者须自费修读的士服务改进课程。违例行为包括收费过高、拒载、未按最直接可行路线驶往目的地、招揽生意、拒绝或疏忽发出收据、未正确调校的士税imeter、以及欺骗或拒绝告知乘客或拟乘客前往任何地点的适当车费及路线。
Of the 229 cases, 158, or about 70 per cent, have accumulated 10 to 14 points; while five have reached 15 points or more. Thirteen drivers have three points while 53 have accumulated five to nine points. Those with 10 points or more are required to take a taxi service improvement course at their own expense. The offences include overcharging, refusing hires, driving to a destination other than by the most direct practicable route, soliciting, refusing or neglecting to issue a receipt, not setting the taxi meter properly, and deceiving or refusing to inform a passenger or intending passenger as to the proper fare and route to any place.
这些数字并不令人意外。然而，投诉数量之多显示，执法与服务文化改革仍需跟进。从计划推行至今年8月，运输署共接获5944宗针对的士司机的投诉，其中605宗涉及拒载。但只有125名司机因拒载被处罚，仅3人被取消资格，该机制可能被视为缺乏威慑力。
The figures are not surprising. Yet the volume of complaints indicates enforcement and service-culture reform still need to keep pace. Between the scheme’s introduction and August this year, the Transport Department received 5,944 complaints against taxi drivers, of which 605 involved refusal of hire. But when 125 drivers have been penalised for refusal of hire and only three have been disqualified, the mechanism may be perceived as lacking teeth.
平均每日乘搭的士人次近100万，按扣分制被追究的司机人数似乎不多。有人认为，将个别司机的不当行为视为整个行业的集体失败并不公平。但过去两年接获的数千宗投诉显示，服务水准仍有很大改善空间。
With the average daily taxi patronage near 1 million, the number of drivers caught under the demerit system may seem modest. Arguably, it would be unfair to treat the misconduct of individual drivers as the collective failure of the industry. But the thousands of complaints lodged over the past two years show service standards still leave a lot to be desired.
是否最终会有更多司机被吊销执照，还有待观察。这套扣分制度初衷良好，因为它区分了早期预警、中期强制补习教育以及最终勒令停驶三个阶段。这也是一种循序渐进的做法，在终极制裁生效前给予司机改正行为的激励。此外，一套新的行程记录系统——集行车记录仪、车内录音录像系统和全球导航卫星系统功能于一体——将从今年起逐步安装在出租车车厢内，以遏制违规行为。
Whether more drivers will eventually be suspended remains to be seen. The demerit system is well intentioned in that it distinguishes between an early warning, a mid-stage remedial education mandate and eventual removal from the road. It is also a progressive approach that gives drivers an incentive to correct conduct before the ultimate sanction applies. Separately, a new journey recording system, comprising the functions of a dash camera, an in-vehicle recording system and a global navigation satellite system, will be gradually installed in taxi compartments starting from this year to deter malpractice.
但仅靠执法无法改善行业现状。香港出租车业面临更广泛的结构性问题：车队和从业人员老化、跟上技术应用的压力、网约车平台竞争日益激烈、服务质量参差不齐，以及过度保护的牌照制度。
But enforcement alone cannot improve the trade. Hong Kong’s taxi industry faces wider structural problems: an ageing fleet and workforce, pressure to keep up with technological applications, growing competition from ride-hailing platforms, uneven service quality and an overly protective licensing system.
扣分制度只是一项迟到已久的全面改革的一部分。新的优质出租车计划已运行逾一年，配合正在进行的将网约车平台提供的个性化点对点运输服务合法化的努力。尽管这些改革来得晚了，但它们是改善问责制、车辆标准和乘客选择的重要步骤。
The demerit system is just part of a wider revamp that has been long overdue. A new premium taxi scheme has been up and running for more than a year, along with the ongoing efforts to legalise personalised point-to-point transport services provided by ride-hailing platforms. Belated as they are, the reforms are important steps to improve accountability, vehicle standards and passenger choice.