Hong Kong government forks out two-thirds of HK$90 million tab for HK$2 fare revamp

Government covers bulk of HK$90 million overhaul for HK$2 transport scheme, with data revealing extreme usage patterns among some beneficiaries. | Contesto: cronaca

Punti chiave

• Hong Kong government forks out two-thirds of HK$90 million tab for HK$2 fare revamp

Contesto

A Legislative Council finance committee paper revealed on Wednesday that the recent revamp of Hong Kong's HK$2 transport fare concession scheme for the elderly and disabled cost HK$90 million, with the government covering two-thirds of the total bill. The document also disclosed that in the first year of a new real-name registration system, approximately 220 beneficiaries averaged more than 240 trips per month, equating to over eight journeys daily, with one individual recorded making as many as 20 trips in a single day. The HK$2 scheme, which allows eligible seniors and disabled residents to travel on most public transport for just 26 US cents per ride, is a cornerstone of the city's social welfare policy. The recently completed overhaul, necessitated by concerns over abuse and financial sustainability, introduced a mandatory real-name registration process linked to personalized Octopus cards. This move aimed to curb misuse, such as the lending or selling of anonymous senior Octopus cards to ineligible individuals, which had placed an increasing strain on public transport operators and government coffers. The disclosed cost breakdown shows the government's direct subsidy amounted to roughly HK$60 million, with transport operators absorbing the remaining HK$30 million. This financial arrangement highlights the scheme's significant fiscal impact, which is funded by taxpayers. The data on usage patterns, extracted from the new registration system, provides the first official, granular look at how the concession is utilized, confirming long-held suspicions of exceptionally high usage by a small subset of cardholders. The revelation that hundreds of beneficiaries are averaging more than eight trips per day, far exceeding typical travel needs, is likely to reignite debate about the scheme's design and oversight. While the program's intent is to promote mobility and social inclusion, the extreme cases suggest potential for exploitation, such as using the heavily subsidized fares for non-essential, circuitous travel or even commercial purposes. The government has previously acknowledged that abuse of the old system was a key driver for the costly technological...

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Categoria: cronaca