Will coming changes to HK$2 transport scheme hurt working elderly most?

John Hau, who pays HK$6,000 a month for his subdivided flat in Sham Shui Po, says every penny counts as he saves up for surgery over the border.

Photo: Jonathan Wong John Hau, a 66-year-old Hongkonger, was frustrated by the government’s decision to revamp the HK$2 (26 US cents) transport subsidy scheme.

The discount allowed him to pay just HK$4 to make the round-trip rail commute from his home in Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, where he works as a security guard at a hotel.

From Friday, he will need to pay an extra HK$1.20, an amount that does not bother him financially but emotionally. “The impact on my finances is not substantial, but pennies add up to pounds in the long run, and there are many elderly people still working very hard like me,” he said. “It is unreasonable for the government to paint everyone with the same brush, without considering if you are a millionaire travelling the world or are still struggling to make ends meet.” Under the revised scheme, the elderly and people with disabilities holding an Octopus JoyYou Card will pay 20 per cent of fares for trips costing more than HK$10, instead of the HK$2 flat rate.

The revamp is aimed at discouraging them from taking pricier long-haul routes for short journeys, saving the government HK$550 million each year.

As the 2.67 million beneficiaries, or one-third of the Hong Kong population, brace for changes, observers say the extra financial burden on them will be minimal but authorities should be cautious about the effect on elderly employment.

In the 2025-26 financial year, the government reimbursed HK$4.8 billion to public transport operators, a fourfold increase from HK$1.2 billion in 2019-20.

Another revision to the scheme, capping the number of subsidised trips a person can take at 240 a month, will come into effect at least one year later.

From Friday, John Hau will need to pay an extra HK$1.20 to travel from his home in Sham Shui Po in Kowloon to Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, where he works as a hotel security guard.

Photo: Jonathan Wong The government earlier issued money-saving guides on social media.

For example, Wan Chai residents going from Southorn Playground to Pacific Place in Admiralty should take the tram or bus route 1 or 5B, instead of route 960, which could save HK$2.80.

Hau makes about HK$9,000 working overnight shifts and receives a HK$4,000 old-age living allowance each month.

His tiny but tidy subdivided flat, for which he pays HK$6,000 a

原文链接: 南华早报