Sun says all systems are go for HK$2 fare revisions

The government on Tuesday said it has completed preparations to implement the revised HK$2 fare scheme, involving the testing of Octopus card readers used on public transport in Hong Kong. Starting on April 3, the elderly who are aged 60 and above and the disabled will pay a flat HK$2 fare for trips costing HK$10 or less and 20 percent of fares for those costing more than that. Speaking on an RTHK programme, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said checks and tests had been carried out on Octopus machines across the city. "There are about some 17,000 Octopus card readers involved... many of which needed re-examinations and re-tests," he said. Sun pointed out that next month's revised charges would affect 2.67 million people – or one third of the city's population – and that residents would need time to adapt. The minister also said authorities would offer tips for every district so that residents know which routes cost more than HK$10 and which are less. He then explained why the government decided to wait until next year to cap the number of HK$2 subsidised trips per person to 240 a month. "When we talked about that last year, we said we would do it in phases," Sun said. "Because the HK$2, or 20 percent of the fare, revision has much greater fiscal sustainability, it can also solve concerns about people using longer-haul services for short trips,” he said. “Moreover, it requires a lot of manpower to carry out tests on Octopus card readers, especially as this involves lots of minibus routes, residential estate buses, etc, and other niche modes of transport.” Edited by Aaron Tam