Hong Kong taxi drivers have signed up en masse for digital payment systems as new rules mandate at least two options. AlipayHK reports availability to 47,000 drivers, while WeChat Pay HK says more than 40,000 have its system. The move aids mainland visitors reliant on e-wallets ahead of Easter and Ching Ming holidays.
Hong Kong has about 18,000 taxis and 47,000 registered drivers, 46,000 of whom are active, according to Transport Department statistics. AlipayHK, a subsidiary of Ant International and an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, 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.
The companies disclosed their figures a day after Hong Kong mandated that taxi drivers provide at least two digital payment options—one QR-based 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, covering the Easter long weekend and the Ching Ming Festival.