Should prams/strollers be categorized under the “no-charge” fare for Taxis in Hong Kong?  YOU BET!

I sometimes do get charged for putting my stroller in the trunk of taxis.  For a $18 HKD cab fare, they will charge me $5 HKD.  Unbelievable!  That is 22% of the total cost of travel - which is absurb.  My sister recently got charged for putting her stroller in the back of the taxi as well and you know me and my family (if you follow our blogs) - we are rather outspoken and verbal and do stand up for our rights.  Besides, there is so much inconsistency, that it even confuses someone who LIVES here.  ME.

My sister’s letter to “The Quality Taxi Services Steering Committee”:

Hello,

I noticed inside all taxis the yellow sticker indicating that a fare should not be charged for wheelchairs/crutches (normally a change of $5).  However, does this also apply to strollers/prams?  I sometimes get charged $5 for putting my stroller in the trunk, sometimes I don’t.  What is the rule?   I would like a clarification.

Thanks,
Ms. Tong

Their response:

Dear Ms. Tong,

I refer to your email dated 8 April 09 in respect of the above subject.

According to the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations, Cap. 374D, only wheelchairs and crutches of passengers with disabilities are carried free of charge.  You may wish to know that wheelchairs and crutches are the indispensable equipments on which the disabled passengers are dependent for daily movements.  They would have difficulties in their activities without wheelchairs and crutches.  On the other hand, baby prams are auxiliary tools to facilitate parents to take care of their children.  In the light of the above, there is a difference between wheelchairs and crutches and baby prams with regard to their importance to the respective users.

Nevertheless, no additional fare will be charged provided that the baby pram is carried inside the passenger compartment and its total dimensions (length + width + height) is not exceeding 140 cm or it is not carried inside the baggage compartment .

Thank you for your support / views on upgrading the quality of taxi service in Hong Kong.  Should you have any enquiries / suggestions in the future on quality taxi services, please feel free to contact us.

Regards,

Vincent KWOK
for Chairman of Quality Taxi Services Steering Committee

Now - you tell me.  As a mother of 2 traveling by herself - is the pram/stroller an indispensible item?  This is particularly true for parents of twins because not both children are able to walk at the same time.  What’s worse is that sometimes the pram comes with the carseat component, so how are you supposed to get the mother, the baby car seat, another child and the pram into the rear seating without causing injury to ourselves or without obstructing the driver?  On some occassions, I have put the pram in the front seat, but because of the twisting and turning in Hong Kong streets and the pram is not secured, the driver ends up holding the pram from flying everywhere or they bitch to me that I should put it in the trunk.  BAH!

Mothers and parents should NOT be charged for putting prams or strollers in the trunk (or baggage compartment) of vehicles and taxis.  Maybe Vincent Kwok should take both my kids (one 3 years and one 1 year - who can’t walk yet) out to run errands for a whole day (like vaccinations, bank visit, school visit, doctor calls and lunch) and see whether the pram is indispensible.  How on earth are you able to get them to nap without a pram?  It’s easy to sling one, but with two, the stroller is a god send and I can’t live without it.    Hmm, maybe Vincent should sling the youngest in the front and then carry the bigger one in the back when they are napping?  Maybe I’m being a prick about this issue, but truthfully, the pram is indispensible - especially for a solitary traveler who obviously needs more than 2 arms to manage her children.