Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation fines 4,260 passengers for misuse of HK$2 fare scheme in past 8 months
- Authorities also lower estimated reimbursement to transport operators in scheme to HK$4 billion for 2023-24 from HK$6.7 billion
- Government also inspected 2,360 passengers using public transport such as franchised buses and ferries
More than 4,200 rail passengers have been fined for misusing the Hong Kong government’s HK$2 (US$0.26) fare concession scheme over the past eight months.
Authorities also revised lower the estimated reimbursement to transport operators in the scheme to about HK$4 billion for 2023-24 from HK$6.7 billion, although the amount is expected to rise to HK$6 billion in 2024-25.
The government said on Wednesday that over the last five years, 1,419 suspected cases of abuse of the scheme were uncovered during joint site monitoring surveys carried out with operators on rail, franchised bus services, ferries, minibuses, trams and residents’ buses.
The fare concession scheme allows people aged 60 or above and eligible disabled residents to pay HK$2 per trip on designated public transport.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han revealed that rail operator the MTR Corporation had fined about 4,260 train passengers between June last year and February 29 for misusing the scheme.
