Average government support per journey fell by about 8% during the first four months of Hong Kong’s revised senior transport subsidy, Labour and Welfare Secretary Chris Sun Yuk-han said. He also reported an 8% fall in journeys costing more than HK$10.
The comparison covered the first four months after the change and the four months before it. Introduced on April 3, the revised arrangement keeps journeys priced at HK$10 or less at HK$2, while more expensive journeys cost 20% of the adult Octopus fare.
Sun said the fall in higher-priced journeys suggested many older people were choosing HK$2 trips where possible. He said the figures did not show that the fare change had caused older people to travel less.
A mobile version of the elderly transport card is expected before the end of the year. Sun said it could link users with business discounts and social-welfare organisations, while faster and more accurate location updates could provide extra help when an older person with cognitive impairment goes missing. Users will be able to keep their physical card, or switch back to it without a handling fee if the mobile version does not suit them.