Not all seniors excited about must-use JoyYou card rule

Stacy Shi

Some of the elderly on public transport were not exactly joyful yesterday after only JoyYou cards were honored for the HK$2 concessionary fare. Some said they find the process of acquiring a JoyYou card too inconvenient and difficult.

Beginning yesterday, JoyYou cards were required to avail of the government's HK$2 elderly concession scheme, MTR Corp said, while passengers aged 65 or above who use the "anonymous elder" and ordinary personalized Octopus cards will only enjoy half the adult fare.

The mandatory arrangement helps prevent abuse of the scheme. But some said the new measure complicates matters.

MTRC deployed staff at Wong Tai Sin MTR station to remind seniors to use JoyYou cards and assist those who had not yet applied. Seniors were seen heading to customer service centers to return or inquire about their elderly Octopus card.

A number of new applicants said they delayed their application as the Octopus mobile app's small font and complicated interface hindered them from applying online.

A senior named To said it is necessary to follow government instructions and all is fine as they can still enjoy HK$2 trips.

But another, Tong, said: "We already have many cards. The government is making things overly complicated for the elderly."

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the new measure operated smoothly on the first day, and no reports of system failure from Octopus or transport operators had been received.

He described the implementation of the card as an effective measure to uphold the HK$2 concession fare while strengthening the battle against fare abuse.

"We hope that the public can comprehend the rationale behind the new measure," Sun said. "Although some elderly people may initially be unfamiliar with the new procedures, we believe that they will soon be able to use the JoyYou card smoothly."

Some 1.34 million card applications have been received from people aged 65 or above - around 95 percent of the age group - while about 73,700, mostly aged 80 and up, have yet to apply.

He said those who have not applied include some 40,000 residential care home residents.

"Some of them are less likely to travel out and are therefore less inclined to change their cards, but the authorities will also try to reach out to them and assist them in applying for the card if necessary."

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com