40,000 taxi drivers sign up for e-payment systems as new rules come into force

More than 40,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers have adopted major electronic payment platforms AlipayHK and WeChat Pay HK, easing a protracted pain point for mainland Chinese visitors who are expected to arrive in droves during the coming Ching Ming Festival break.

AlipayHK, a subsidiary of Ant International, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post, said on Thursday that its e-payment system was available to 47,000 taxi drivers. WeChat Pay HK said more than 40,000 drivers had its system.

This suggests widespread coverage, with Hong Kong having about 18,000 taxis and 47,000 registered drivers, 46,000 of whom are active, based on Transport Department statistics.

The companies’ disclosure of their figures came a day after Hong Kong mandated that taxi drivers provide at least two digital payment options – one QR-based type such as AlipayHK, WeChat Pay HK or BoC Pay, and one contactless alternative capable of reading Octopus or credit cards.

The e-payment systems will provide convenience to mainland visitors who have been solely using e-wallets for years.

The Immigration Department said it expected 6.44 million trips to be made by Hong Kong residents and visitors via air, land and sea checkpoints between Friday and Tuesday, which covers the Easter long weekend and the Ching Ming Festival.

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