Hong Kong may cap use of HK$2 fare at 240 times per month: sources

The government has proposed that Hong Kong residents eligible for a HK$2 (25 US cents) public transport concessionary fare scheme be limited to using it 240 times per month or eight times a day on average, sources have said.

Users of the scheme could also be required to cover 20 per cent of the usual fare for trips costing more than HK$10, which was expected to save the government HK$100 million to HK$300 million a year, they explained on Friday.

Currently, residents aged 60 or above and those with disabilities are eligible for the scheme.

The insiders added that recouping the 20 per cent was aimed at addressing situations where passengers took long-haul routes for short journeys, which cost the government more as it needed to pay the difference to operators.

Capping the number of subsidised trips was intended to help tackle extreme cases of passengers who used the benefits excessively, the sources said.

Over the past five years, the total reimbursement amount to transport operators increased by more than 200 per cent, going from HK$1.2 billion in the 2019-20 financial year to HK$3.9 billion in 2023-24.