Uber’s controversial tie-up with Hong Kong taxi firms pays off

Ng admitted that cabbies had taken a beating with their income plunging about 30% because of the ongoing protests. — SCMP

A controversial partnership between Uber and Hong Kong taxi companies has posted a 2.5-fold increase in monthly ride-hailing requests since March, bucking the trend in an economy suffering badly after nearly six months of anti-government protests.

The service, Uber Flash, which matches riders with the closest UberX vehicle or taxi via the ride-hailing app, has taken more than 2.4 million trip requests in the nine months since its debut with a 2.5-fold growth on monthly orders, Uber said in a statement on Friday.