Sun dispels fears of $2 fare scheme ax

Marcus Lum

The SAR administration has no plans to scrap the HK$2 public transport fare concession scheme for seniors, according to the Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han.

He said the administration is currently exploring ways to manage rising costs and enhance the scheme's efficiency.

In a written reply to the Legislative Council, Sun emphasized the administration's commitment to maintaining the policy intent of the HK$2 scheme, which aims to foster a caring and inclusive society by encouraging participation in community activities among beneficiaries.

"The administration has no intention to cancel the scheme or alter the existing beneficiary groups," he said.

Sun said the future costs of the scheme will depend on several factors, including changes in the population of eligible individuals, transport fare adjustments, the participation of public transport operators and effectiveness of anti-abuse measures.

"We will consider the effectiveness and practicality of options to contain expenditure growth - we will announce our findings and recommendations in due course," he added.

As of last month, about 3,080 people have been stopped for suspected abuse.

Sun said seven cases have been referred to the police for investigation, with two resulting in successful prosecutions.

Additionally, MTR Corp imposed surcharges on around 9,680 ineligible persons.

To ensure eligible seniors are aware of the scheme, the administration launched a new round of publicity programs last month through TV, radio and posters to remind them to use the designated Octopus card.

To safeguard resources, a real-name registration system was implemented on August 25.

This mandates that residents aged 60 and above use the JoyYou Card, while eligible individuals with disabilities under 60 must use a personalized octopus indicating a "person with disabilities status."

The Transport Department will continue to conduct joint inspections and enforcement with public transport operators, Sun said.