Monthly usage cap urged for $2 fare scheme

Cheng Wong and Eunice Lam

Executive Council member and lawmaker Chan Kin-por has proposed implementing a monthly usage limit and a cap on subsidies per ride under the HK$2 fare scheme for the elderly.

He also suggested that the administration enforce a spending cut of 5 percent or more across all departments over the next one to two years.

Chan, along with lawmakers from G19, submitted these recommendations to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po ahead of his budget on February 26.

He emphasized addressing the misuse of public resources, advocating for a monthly limit on discounts, a cap on per-ride subsidies and an annual subsidy limit to effectively control expenditures associated with the HK$2 elderly scheme.

Chan also proposed adjusting public health-care charges to align with private sector standards, recommending a moderate increase in emergency room fees from HK$180 to encourage non-emergency patients to seek care in the private sector to alleviate pressure on the public system.

He highlighted several long-overdue fee adjustments, noting that the admission fee for public swimming pools, which is just HK$17 on weekdays, is significantly lower than the actual operating costs. Chan urged the administration to establish a clear fee adjustment mechanism to align fees with inflation every year or two.

Regarding economic recovery, Chan called for a multifaceted approach that leverages the HK$16 trillion in bank deposits, encourages state-owned enterprises to establish headquarters in Hong Kong and attracts A-share companies to list in the city.

He also suggested transforming idle markets into multifunctional community spaces and integrating these developments with infrastructure projects like Kai Tak Sports Park to stimulate domestic demand. Meanwhile, the A4 Alliance - composed of independent lawmakers Scott Leung Man-kwong, Kitson Yang Wing-kit, Connie Lam So-wai, and Gary Zhang Xinyu - urged authorities to preserve the HK$2 scheme.

"No matter how the government considers cutting expenditures, it should not target people who spent their youth contributing to Hong Kong," Lam said.

She called on the administration to address the misuse of JoyYou Octopus cards, which are intended for individuals aged 60 and above to access the HK$2 scheme.

The alliance further proposed developing a concert economy and promoting religious tourism as potential growth areas.

Lo Wai-kwok, chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong and engineering constituency lawmaker, said the need to execute infrastructure projects systematically while continuing to allocate resources for the city's future amid economic uncertainties.

Alliance vice chairman Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung expressed optimism about the local economy, predicting a gradual increase in the city's Gross Domestic Product.