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The Labour and Welfare Bureau today (April 23) reminded members of the public that the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities will cover five more green minibus routes starting tomorrow (April 24).
The five routes serving Sham Shui Po and Sai Kung districts (see Annex 1) are run by two operators. Both of them will join the Scheme with effect from April 24. From tomorrow, there will be altogether 501 routes run by 156 operators (see Annex 2 for a full list of all routes) under the Scheme, covering around 97 per cent of all green minibus routes and around 98 per cent of all operators.
All green minibuses participating in the Scheme will carry a logo (see attachment) on their windscreens, next to their side doors and atop their Octopus readers for ease of identification. The operators concerned will also help publicise the Scheme by putting up posters at green minibus termini.
The Scheme allows elderly people aged 65 or above as well as persons with 100 per cent disabilities aged below 65 receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or Disability Allowance to travel on the general Mass Transit Railway lines, franchised buses, ferries and most green minibuses at any time at a fare of $2 per trip using a designated Octopus.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said the Government is committed to building a caring and inclusive society conducive to the elderly and persons with disabilities' participation in community activities. "The overall number of daily passenger trips taken by beneficiaries of the Scheme has increased to around 950 000, from around 740 000 before the Scheme's extension to green minibuses. Every day, an average of some 832 000 trips were made by elderly people and some 118 000 by eligible persons with disabilities, an encouraging progress that shows the Scheme's wide popularity," Mr Cheung said.
"With the Scheme's extension to green minibuses and the steady rise in Hong Kong's elderly population, the Government's reimbursement of revenue forgone to the operators will rise to around $1.1 billion in 2016-17," he added.
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 call 1823.
Ends/Saturday, April 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 10:01
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