Some commuters call for new Hong Kong light rail service for pets to be expanded

Owners should be allowed to travel with their pets on more train routes and not be limited to weekends and public holidays, some commuters have said in response to Thursday’s launch of a trial scheme allowing them to take their cats and dogs on light rail services.

At Siu Hong station on Thursday, about 10 volunteers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Animals Asia travelled on the first light rail train to allow pets on board.

To prepare for the first day of the trial scheme, the MTR Corporation mobilised more than 70 staff to help out at busy light rail stops.

But while volunteers and pet owners told the Post that they welcomed the new arrangement, they hoped the rail giant could relax some of its restrictions and broaden the scheme to include regular train services and weekday travel.

They added that the scheme would also help them to save money on transport, as many pet owners were reliant on taxis for travelling with their pets.

Under the two-month trial scheme, passengers who buy a HK$99 (US$12.80) monthly pass can use an enclosed carrier to bring one cat or dog onto light rail trains.