Government must plug holes in transport subsidy scheme that wastes millions of dollars every year, lawmaker says
- Authorities are spending up to HK$27 million a year needlessly to operators due to loophole in the HK$2 ride programme
- Some beneficiaries of the scheme, aimed at the elderly and people with disabilities, are taking long-haul buses for even short trips
The government has come under fresh criticism over its failure to plug loopholes in a public transport subsidy scheme that is leading to the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars in Hong Kong every year.
Pro-Beijing lawmaker Wilson Or Chong-shing said on Thursday some passengers eligible for a flat HK$2 (25 US cents) fare on designated public transport took long-haul buses for short trips.
When beneficiaries travelled this way, the government’s reimbursement to the operators is more than the amount for short-haul buses, with the extra cost earlier estimated to run into tens of millions of dollars a year.
“The most unideal part [of the official response] is the government has not addressed this problem,” Or said in a radio show. “Any policies will have their own discrepancies. When it has been rolled out, the government should review and respond to them in a timely manner.”
The scheme, which was introduced in 2012, is aimed at helping to foster a caring and inclusive society by encouraging the elderly and people with disabilities to be more active in the community.
