Uber flags Hong Kong insurance to ease riders’ minds

Ride-sharing giants Uber has made a point of emphasising its multi-million dollar insurance arrangement with AIG in Hong Kong.

In a statement titled ‘Peace of mind at the push of a button: Insurance for all rides on Uber in Hong Kong’, the firm claimed that getting people from A to B safely and reliably is “the single most important thing we do every day at Uber”.

It goes on to say it maintains a group ride-share liability insurance policy with AIG Insurance in Hong Kong.

“[This] provides additional protection to riders and third-parties during any Uber ride-sharing trip in Hong Kong,” Uber said.

“The liability insurance policy protects riders and third-parties in the event of an accident during a ride-share involving bodily injury or death, and applies from the moment you book a trip, to the moment the last passenger exits the vehicle.”

Uber added that the limit of liability is HKD100 million per occurrence for bodily injury or death, which is equal to that required of all vehicles under Hong Kong law.

The reassurance comes as five Uber drivers faced a Hong Kong court and denied two charges of driving a motor vehicle for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward and using a motor vehicle on a road without third party insurance.

The drivers were arrested in 2015 for violating the Road Traffic Ordinance, but they claimed that they were only driving to fulfill the terms of the contract with Uber, reports Asia Times. The court will issue a verdict on 10 March.

In January, Kenneth She Chun-chi, general manager of Uber Hong Kong, spoke with the South China Morning Post about the firm’s long road to acceptance in the region and the perceived battle with cab drivers.

“I have a clear conscience. All along what I’ve done has not in any way affected cabbies’ livelihoods. On the contrary, we’ve offered them opportunities to be our drivers,” Chun-chi told the Post.

“We are not stealing the business of others. We are just providing more convenient options and job opportunities for Hong Kong people, why would this be a bad thing to some people?” he added.