The number of instances of misuse of Hong Kong’s HK$2 (26 US cents) transport subsidy scheme for the elderly has fallen sharply since the introduction of real-name registration, the city’s welfare minister has revealed.
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Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Wednesday that between August 2024 and April of this year, there had been a total of 280 cases of abuse of the scheme, an average of eight per week.
This figure was “significantly lower” than the 9,624 cases recorded between June 25, 2023 and August 24, 2024, before real-name registration was required, which averaged 158 cases per week, according to Sun.
Legislative Council member Michael Tien Puk-sun questioned the effectiveness of the measure in tackling abuse of the scheme, which is projected to cost the government HK$6 billion annually and has come under scrutiny amid the city’s substantial budget deficit.
Rail operator the MTR Corporation had also sought help from the police for 14 suspected cases of abuse since last August, Sun added.
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Five arrests have been made, including one case where the defendant was convicted of theft and fined HK$400.
Introduced in 2012, the scheme enables people aged 60 or older and those with disabilities to pay only HK$2 per journey on public transport, with the aim of encouraging greater participation in community activities.