Letters | Hong Kong can sustain its HK$2 transport scheme with 1 tweak

Readers discuss the city’s public transport subsidy scheme for the elderly, and proposed measures to tackle unauthorised building works

Reading Time:3 minutes

Crowd at Central Station during rush hour on August 15, 2023. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 11:30am, 10 Feb 2025

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The HK$2 (26 US cents) public transport fare concession scheme for elderly residents faces sustainability challenges amid the current fiscal deficit. The scheme in its present form may not endure in the long run.

A monthly cap offers one solution, but doesn’t tackle rush-hour congestion. A more effective approach is to offer concessional fares during off-peak hours, excluding 8-10am and 5 -7pm to encourage the elderly to travel from 10am to 5pm.

This adjustment can significantly impact overcrowding during rush hour, as around 31 per cent of Hong Kong’s population qualifies for the concession – a figure that is expected to rise with the ageing population. According to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, there were 2.36 million people aged 60 or older as of 2024.

The implementation can be straightforward, similar to the MTR’s early bird discount, which already offers a 25 per cent fare reduction for early morning travel.

Reducing peak-hour ridership is critical in Hong Kong’s fast-paced environment, where overcapacity can mean being late for work. This is particularly relevant for those who ride minibuses, where standing is prohibited, or trains on which doors don’t initially shut properly. Encouraging off-peak travel also offers elderly passengers a safer, more comfortable journey with more available seating.

Another issue is misuse of the scheme. Between June 2023 and February 2024, over 4,200 rail passengers were fined for misuse, indicating the scheme’s potential for exploitation. Bus and minibus misuse is harder to quantify but likely equally substantial. Shifting concessions to off-peak times would ease enforcement pressures during congested hours and deter misuse by removing exploitability at peak times.