- Users will receive a 25 per cent discount of their public transport costs beyond the initial HK$400
- Scheme is open to all with subsidies claimed either by Octopus card or mobile app
It will cover all modes of public transport, including the MTR, franchised buses, minibuses, ferries, trams and kaitos – small ferries that serve mainly residents of outlying islands. Monthly bus and MTR passes will also be covered by the scheme.
The scheme would come into force on January 1 and that commuters would be able to claim their first subsidy with their Octopus cards from February 16. Unlike other existing transport subsidies, the new scheme is not means-tested.
Under the scheme, the government is to subsidise 25 per cent of people’s spending on public transport after the initial HK$400 (US$51).
For instance, a commuter who spends HK$1,200 on transport in a particular month will get HK$200 in subsidy.
The subsidy amount is capped at HK$300 per month.
The government estimated the scheme could benefit 2.2 million citizens, costing HK$2.3 billion per year to run.
To claim the subsidy, commuters have to connect their Octopus cards at dedicated readers, which will be placed in MTR stations, Light Rail customer service centres, 7-Eleven and Circle K outlets, and Wellcome supermarkets.
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