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Taxi drivers from the Motor Transport Workers General Union march on Friday against the traffic-disrupting protest in Central on Jan 1. The drivers and their supporters said such action has hurt Hong Kong's image and drivers' livelihood, urging enforcement of law against the radicals. Parker Zheng / China Daily

Cabbies left stranded for hours as opposition demonstrators blocked roads

On a busy New Year's Day, 47-year-old taxi driver Yeung Kwai-shing, driving to the Peak from Central with two mainland tourists aboard, found himself trapped by masked protesters, who surrounded his vehicle on Cotton Tree Drive.

The Taxi Drivers Unit of the Motor Transport Workers General Union reported that about 30 complaints similar to Yeung's were received from taxi drivers caught in Tuesday's protest.

The union on Friday staged a protest, condemning radical protesters who rushed onto the road, blocked main traffic arteries, and paralyzed traffic for more than five hours until police finally began making arrests at around 11 pm. Five main roads were blocked in Central, including Queen's Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central. About 20 cab drivers joined Friday's protest, demanding that police step up law enforcement against radicals.

"This is the first time in my more than 20 years driving that I have encountered such a situation. At first, I thought it was some kind of a riot," said Yeung.

In a state of panic, Yeung immediately locked the cab. The two travelers on board took out their cameras and began to take photos. Noticing the flash, the protesters pounded the windows, yelling at the tourists and calling them "locusts".

"This not only embarrassed Hong Kong people by calling tourists 'locusts', it will also diminish Hong Kong's image as a tourist city," said Yeung.

After being trapped for more than an hour, Yeung finally managed to reach his destination. The trip, which should have taken only 20 minutes at a cost of about HK$50, cost the tourists more than HK$130 and extended over an hour and a half. Yeung called it a day at around 10 pm, even though his shift didn't end until 5 am the next day.

"I didn't even make ends meet on that night," said Yeung, who had to take two days off to calm himself before going back to work.

Low Shih-cheng, deputy director of the taxi drivers' union, accused the protesters of ignoring the safety of others.

"The behavior of the protesters put pressure on the taxi drivers mentally and physically. Being stranded for a long time, the drivers couldn't just abandon their cars, even go to the toilet. What's more, if the protesters rushed out without notice and were hit by a cab, who should be responsible for that? Not to mention some passengers might be in a rush, for instance, to catch a flight or need to go to the hospital," said Low.

Some citizens also voiced their support for the taxi drivers.

A man surnamed Chung, 60, a cleaner, said the protesters' radical strategy of disrupting traffic in recent years was "overused and repugnant".

"One or two times (of radical protest) would be enough. What's the meaning of doing it again and again?"

Chung added that such radical action had brought inconvenience to the whole city. "Do they (the protesters) want to declare war on all Hong Kong people?" asked Chung.

Lee Leung-wood, 63, an air-conditioning technician, also supported the cab drivers. "This is about the taxi drivers' right to make a living," he said.

"It seems to me that, the protesters think they could do anything they like in the name of demonstration," he added.

Meanwhile, the police plan to consult the District Councils on traffic arrangements in relation to public events, including protests and assemblies.

Speaking at the Panel on Security under the Legislative Council, Under Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said the consultation with stakeholders in the affected districts will help police give full consideration to arrangements concerning which roads to close and to designing the route for protests. He added that the behavior of the protesters was dangerous.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 01/05/2013 page1)