A video circulating online has triggered criticism after it showed a taxi driver allegedly smoking inside his cab during heavy traffic, despite repeated objections from a passenger who said she suffers from nasal allergies and did not want to inhale secondhand smoke.
In the clip, the bearded male driver is seen smoking while the vehicle is stuck on a congested road. The female passenger, seated in the back, asks him to stop, explaining that she has a sensitive nose. The driver refuses and responds that he is "frustrated," saying he would only open the window to air out the smell.
The passenger argues that smoking should not be allowed in the taxi cabin and questions why the driver did not seek the customer's consent before lighting up. She is later heard coughing as the dispute continues. At one point, the taxi passes a police vehicle handling an accident, but the driver does not appear to respond further in the footage.
After uploading the video, the person who posted it urged others to reconsider taking taxis, accusing the driver of being excessively disrespectful to passengers. Some commenters, however, cautioned against generalizing the incident to all taxi drivers. Many netizens condemned the driver's behavior and suggested the passenger should record the driver's identification details and file a complaint.
Under Hong Kong's Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), smoking—or carrying a lighted cigarette, cigar or pipe—is prohibited on public transport. A person who breaches the ban may be liable, upon summary conviction, to a fine of HK$5,000. The ordinance applies even when a taxi is not carrying passengers, the report noted.
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