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The Hong Kong government has officially abandoned a proposal to cap the number of subsidized public transport journeys for the elderly and disabled, citing the scheme's high implementation cost and its disproportionate impact on a small number of users with genuine needs.
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The Labour and Welfare Bureau announced on Friday its decision to scrap the second phase of its transport subsidy scheme adjustment, which would have limited "JoyYou Card" holders to 240 subsidized trips per month starting next April.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han, explained today that the decision was a practical one based on data.
He revealed that updating the territory-wide transport system, including approximately 18,000 Octopus card readers, to enforce the cap would cost up to HK$30 million.
In contrast, the potential savings from the limit would only amount to a few hundred thousand dollars annually, a trade-off he described as not being a cost-effective use of public money.
Sun highlighted that out of 2.7 million "JoyYou Card" users, only about 450 people consistently exceed the 240-trip threshold each month.
While persons with disabilities make up just 5 percent of all cardholders, they account for a significant 22 percent of these high-frequency users.
The bureau found that these individuals often require multiple bus or MTR transfers to travel, leading to a higher number of trips to meet their daily needs. Scrapping the limit acknowledges this reality and avoids penalizing those with a genuine need for frequent travel.
The government had already adjusted the scheme on April 3, changing it from a flat HK$2 fare to a system where users pay 20 percemt of the original adult fare, capped at HK$2.
Sun stated this initial change has already proven effective at curbing misuse of the subsidy, such as taking long-haul routes for short journeys.
He noted that in the first month of the new arrangement, the government's total subsidy expenditure dropped by HK$69 million compared to the previous month.
The average subsidy per trip also fell from approximately HK$4.9 to HK$4.5, indicating the measure is successfully encouraging more appropriate use of the transport benefit.
