Uber to drop van and taxi services in Hong Kong
Uber is reportedly set to stop operating its van-hire and taxi offerings in Hong Kong from this Sunday (5 September) so it can concentrate on its ride-sharing UberX and UberBlack services. According to a report published today (30 August) by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), an Uber spokesperson said the company has made the move in order to “re-align” its business and “phase out… some options that are not as commonly used.”
“Ride-sharing services are Uber’s core business and represent the overwhelming majority of rides in Hong Kong,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Uber launched its van service in Hong Kong at the start of 2015. This is a competitive market, with GoGoVan and Lalamove (EasyVan) among the leading players.
Meanwhile, Uber recently announced that it will withdraw from the Macau market within the next couple of weeks because of penalties that have been imposed on Uber drivers.
In addition, Uber has also temporarily suspended its services in Abu Dhabi, as has fellow ride-hailing company Careem. Details are sketchy, but it seems that the companies have taken this step as a “precautionary measure” following the detention of drivers (who reportedly worked for Careem, and not Uber).
