Govt drops plan to cap journeys under HK$2 scheme

The government on Friday said it has decided to drop its plan to limit the number of subsidised journeys people can make using the "HK$2" public transport scheme. On social media, Welfare Secretary Chris Sun said some people with disabilities had voiced concern about the plan to cap the number of journeys at 240 per month, saying they often need to make more transfers than other residents in order to reach the same destination. He said that on average, only about 450 people make more than 240 trips per month – a tiny number among the 2.7 million users of the transport subsidy – and about a fifth have disabilities. "If we go ahead with the trip cap, it will inevitably affect some people with disabilities – including their need to see a doctor, attend rehabilitation services, go to work, and other daily necessities," he wrote. Sun also said a cap would not be cost-effective as it would only save a few hundred thousand dollars, while updating the subsidy system to accommodate a limit would cost an estimated HK$30 million. The scheme was changed in April so that while the over 60s and people with disabilities continue to pay just HK$2 for fares that ordinarily cost HK$10 or less, they pay 20 percent of normal fares that are over HK$10. Edited by Thomas McAlinden