I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Uber announced it will shut down FlyTaxi, its second acquired metered taxi platform in Hong Kong, by the end of the year. The standalone app will be discontinued as services integrate into Uber's main platform to provide better support for drivers and users. Points and balances will be refunded. This follows the earlier acquisition and shutdown of HKTaxi. The move occurs amidst new legislation requiring platforms to hold licenses based on high order volumes, with authorities capping ride-hailing permits at 10,000.
Online ride-hailing giant Uber will close a second Hong Kong metered taxi platform that it acquired by the end of this year, just over six months after it bought out the business. Uber said on Friday that it would fully integrate the services on FlyTaxi into its own platform by the end of the year, saying it aimed to provide “optimal” support for drivers and users. “As part of this integration, the stand-alone FlyTaxi app will [be shut down]. Our team is dedicated to guiding every rider and driver through this period to ensure a seamless ongoing service,” an Uber spokesman said. The US-based ride-hailing giant reassured drivers that the points they had accumulated on the 13-year-old FlyTaxi app and their account balances would be fully refunded while encouraging them to switch to Uber, where they would have access to a larger client base and more earning opportunities. Uber had acquired FlyTaxi, one of Hong Kong’s earliest metered taxi platforms, in May, saying it aimed to combine FlyTaxi’s local expertise with its technology. FlyTaxi is the second local taxi-hailing platform after HKTaxi to cease operations after being acquired by Uber. Uber bought HKTaxi in 2021 and launched a metered taxi option on its own platform in partnership with the latter two years later. But it shut down the acquired platform in 2025. After integrating HKTaxi, Uber argued that “taxi drivers have benefited from [higher] demand, while riders have enjoyed [shorter] wait times and enhanced safety features”. Both FlyTaxi and HKTaxi were founded in 2013, a year before Uber’s entry into the Hong Kong market. The closure of FlyTaxi comes soon after the introduction of new legislation to regulate and license the ride-hailing industry. To apply for the necessary licence, platforms must have a proven track record of handling an average of 100,000 orders per day over a year in at least two other cities of a size comparable to Hong Kong. They should also submit a detailed business plan, including proposals on providing taxi services and encouraging taxi drivers to register with their platforms. Secretary for Transport Mable Chan earlier said that more than 20 organisations had obtained application forms for platform licensing, with applications closing on October 30. The authorities have set a cap on the number of ride-hailing vehicle permits at 10,000, far lower than Uber’s proposal of 30,000. The company had warned that even a quota of 15,000 would cause a 70 per cent increase in fares and result in 40 per cent of peak-hour ride requests being unsuccessful.