The Ultra-Rare Blue Taxis

Anyone who has ever visited Hong Kong is familiar with the ubiquitous red taxis. Roaming the streets of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and much of the New Territories, they are hard to miss. Yet, if you are lucky, you might spot a true rarity: a blue taxi. Out of a fixed total fleet of 18,163 vehicles, only 75 are blue, equating to a mere 0.4% of all taxis operating in Hong Kong. But what makes these blue taxis so special?

Contrary to red taxis, which are allowed to operate virtually across the entire territory (with the exception of Tung Chung Road and South Lantau), blue taxis are legally restricted to Lantau Island. Consequently, they are not permitted to pick up or drop off passengers on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon, or throughout the New Territories. The only exceptions to this restriction are Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on Chek Lap Kok, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Port—both located just north of Lantau Island.

In this regard, whereas blue taxis are restricted to Lantau Island but forbidden to operate in the New Territories, green taxis are restricted to the New Territories but forbidden to operate on Lantau Island–with the exception of the HKIA and HZMB. Similarly to blue taxis, however, green taxis are also forbidden to operate on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon.