Today in Hong Kong (12/10/2024)

Hong Kong taxi drivers are required by transport authorities to install electronic payment and navigation systems with global positioning systems (GPS), dash-cams, and surveillance cameras inside their vehicles over the next 2 years, in order to improve the quality of service. The bureau believes that many taxis not allowing online payment brings inconvenience to passengers, especially tourists. Thus, after this innovation, they should offer at least two electronic payment options, including QR code methods such as AlipayHK, WeChat Pay HK, and POC Pay, and non-QR ones such as Octopus, credit card, and Faster Payment System (FPS).

After the authority posted an announcement that requires taxi drivers to install inside-vehicle surveillance for industry demand, Hong Kong lawmakers requested the government to ban taxi drivers from uploading taxi-taken videos online. The drivers should be regulated to send the footage directly to a secure and central storage that could not be easily accessed by even themselves, according to legislator Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, or there will be "a level of privacy concern". It was determinedly stated that the recording taken by vehicles should be used for controversial cases related to service complaints only. In addition, Kong believed that the fee of installing the cameras should be paid by Hong Kong government.

Last week, John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive has removed the positions of secretary for culture, sports, and tourism and secretary for transport and logistics. The reshuffle is not surprising as Lee has been dropping hints since he was responding to rumors of potential changes to his team, especially when he pointed out the delay of releasing the blueprint for developing the city's arts and creative industries, account for the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau, which is under Yeung's charge.

Baptist University, one of the 8 best universities in Hong Kong, is promoting treating mental health issues with traditional Chinese medicine, by providing the treatments to 5,000 people suffering from depression, anxiety, or insomnia for three years, without accepting payments, intending to study mental health problems. Principal investigator of the Jockey Club Traditional Chinese Medicine-driven Mental Wellness Project, associate vice-president of clinical Chinese medicine of Baptist University, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang claims that mental health is raising more and more public awareness is Hong Kong and Chinese medicine is effective and safe in the field, thus, the university would like to construct a platform for developing a clinical protocol for Chinese medicine to improve mental health.