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The Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (the Scheme) will be extended to eligible children with disabilities aged below 12 tomorrow (May 18).
In other words, starting from tomorrow, all recipients under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme aged below 65 with 100 per cent disabilities and recipients of the Disability Allowance (DA) aged below 65 can travel on the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), franchised buses and ferries any time at a concessionary fare of $2 per trip using a Personalised Octopus with "Persons with Disabilities Status".
Eligible persons with disabilities may conveniently enjoy the concessionary fare by using Personalised Octopus with "Persons with Disabilities Status". Free ride arrangements being voluntarily offered by individual public transport operators to children of designated age groups will not be affected. They can continue to enjoy free rides by not tapping their Personalised Octopus against the reader.
The concessionary fare will not be applicable to fares paid in cash. When the original fare of a journey is below $2, the beneficiaries would only need to pay the original fare.
For eligible persons with disabilities who have not yet obtained a Personalised Octopus with "Persons with Disabilities Status", they may obtain application forms at the Customer Service Centres in designated MTR stations. As for those eligible persons with disabilities who have newly applied for the CSSA or DA, the Social Welfare Department will, upon approving their CSSA/DA applications, mail them the application forms for Personalised Octopus with "Persons with Disabilities Status".
The Government launched the Scheme in phases starting June 28, 2012, covering the general MTR lines, franchised bus routes operated by five franchised bus companies and ferry routes run by 12 ferry operators. The number of daily passenger trips taken by beneficiaries is around 700 000.
Details of the Scheme are available on the Labour and Welfare Bureau's website (www.lwb.gov.hk/fare_concession/index_e.html). For enquiries, please contact the Bureau at 2810 2300.
Ends/Saturday, May 17, 2014
Issued at HKT 10:15
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