The Transport Department (TD) said today (April 27) that the fuel subsidy for public light buses and taxis under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund (AEF) will be provided starting from May 1 this year.
      
     For a five-month period between May 1 and September 30, 2022, the Government will offer a subsidy of $2 per litre of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for public light buses and taxis, and reimburse 40 per cent of the actual fuel costs for diesel public light buses and petrol taxis. It is expected that 163 green mini-bus operators, as well as some 49 000 taxi and red mini-bus drivers, can benefit from the fuel subsidy.
      
     Having regard that the majority of taxi and red minibus drivers are rental car drivers who need to refuel at the LPG stations at their own expense, in order to relieve the economic pressure of these frontline drivers in a simple and direct manner, oil companies will provide drivers with instant discounts of $2 per litre at LPG stations, with no registration or application needed. The Government will reimburse oil companies for the actual amount of LPG subsidies provided to taxi and public light bus drivers. 
      
     As for petrol taxis and diesel public light buses, due to the relatively smaller number of drivers and operators involved, and considering that gasoline and diesel may stand a higher chance to be transferred than LPG, drivers/operators should apply for the 40 per cent actual fuel costs reimbursement from the Government by using refilling receipts or monthly statements of fleet cards. Upon completion of the vetting process, reimbursement will be made by auto-pay, and applicants will be notified in writing. 
      
     The fuel subsidy reimbursement arrangement is the same as that under the first round of the AEF. Details are available at the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk/en/fsub/fsub_01).
      
     All oil companies will make appropriate arrangements at each filling station, and will display posters.
      
     To assist the transport trades to cope with the operational demands in the prevailing economic environment, the Government has rolled out the relief measures under the sixth round of the AEF progressively. As of mid-April, the TD has disbursed over $300 million of subsidies to the transport trades.
      
     For details on the subsidies for transport trades under the AEF, please visit the TD's website.

Ends/Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:00

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