Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Uber and taxi sector among businesses struggling in Hong Kong as people stay off the streets over coronavirus fears

Driver earnings halved over past two weeks, with Hong Kong Island the worst hit as firms allow employees to work from home and fewer eat out. Taxi union chairman appeals to government to ramp up mask supply to restore confidence, as well as provide aid for industry

Popular ride-hailing service Uber in Hong Kong has joined a list of businesses hammered by the coronavirus outbreak, with its passenger numbers taking a nosedive in the past two weeks as most people stay off the streets.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently told the Canadian press that its Hong Kong business had been adversely affected by the health crisis. “We are not seeing a significant effect on the business overall, [but the impact] is in North Asia. For example, business in Hong Kong ... is down significantly.”

Uber’s Hong Kong office declined to comment on the matter.

Sam Chui, 56, an Uber driver who works at a law firm, said his income from the ride service was halved in the past two weeks, with fewer people willing to travel around.

“There are two major impacts. First, there have been fewer people travelling to the airport due to the sharp drop in the number of tourists and local travellers,” he said.

“The second is that there’s no school for both teachers and students, while most office staff work from home. The streets are all empty with people staying indoors. The only good thing is that the roads in Hong Kong are now free of congestion.”

Chui said that before the outbreak he could easily earn more than HK$2,000 (US$258) a day on weekends and over HK$1,000 on weekdays.

“The Uber ride orders have been greatly reduced. I know of one Uber driver being online for four hours without getting an order,” he said.

Chui said his ride-hailing service was largely unscathed by the months-long civil unrest sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, but it had succumbed to the coronavirus outbreak.

“During the protest days, there was a surge in demand for Uber rides, with prices going up. Ironically the protests brought a positive effect for Uber [with MTR closures and bus routes diverted]. But this time it is different.”

Another Uber driver Mark Chan, 32, also said his business was down by up to 40 per cent over the past two weeks. From an average of more than HK$1,400 a day initially, he now makes about HK$1,000 daily.

“The hardest-hit district is Hong Kong Island, where the number of riders has been greatly reduced. It may be due to the fact that a lot of firms now allow their staff to work from home. People also don’t have the mood for dining out and shopping,” he said.

Chan said he had no choice but to bite the bullet. “We all hope that this difficult time will be over soon.”

The drivers’ woes come against the backdrop of Uber not being allowed to operate legally in the city. Hong Kong’s population of more than 7 million people is served by 18,163 licensed taxis.

The already struggling taxi sector has also been dealt a blow by the outbreak.

Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said taxi drivers saw their income drop by half over the past two weeks.

“Before the outbreak, taxi drivers could make about HK$1,400 per day before rent and fuel cost. Now they can only make about HK$700. Deducting vehicle rent and fuel, they only pocket about HK$200 to HK$300 daily. I think their salary is only slightly more than the minimum wage now,” he said.

He added that about 15 per cent of cabbies were afraid of being infected with the deadly disease, and had opted to suspend work. “They’d rather earn less than risk their health,” he noted.

Chau called on the government to ensure enough surgical masks for society and to increase fuel subsidies for the public transport sector to ride out the hard times.

“The taxi business has been very miserable over the past few weeks. The government needs to ensure sufficient supply of masks for Hong Kong people so they feel at ease going out to work, eat or shop. It also needs to offer immediate financial aid to taxi drivers. Then there’s a chance for the economy to recover,” he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×