Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun today said the Transport Department will conduct citywide joint enforcement actions with public transport operators within this month to combat abuses of the $2 Scheme. 

Mr Sun made the statement in response to questions about the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly & Eligible Persons with Disabilities during this morning’s Legislative Council meeting.

He said the MTR Corporation will enhance publicity and education, strengthen ticket inspection and impose a surcharge on all ineligible passengers travelling at the concessionary fares.

It will also raise the surcharge amount from $500 to $1,000 for the heavy rail and from $290 to $370 for the light rail.

In addition, the department will set up a dedicated team to conduct joint actions with franchised bus and ferry operators to combat abuses.

Mr Sun reminded the public that once a passenger is found to have abused the scheme, ie non-eligible people using other people's cards, that passenger will not only be required to pay the shortfall or a surcharge on the spot, but the case will also be referred to Police for investigation and follow-up.

It is an offence for an ineligible person to abuse the scheme and any person who is convicted is liable to imprisonment, he added.

The Government has launched a new round of publicity programmes to remind members of the public not to defy the law through TV and radio announcements in the public interest and posters.

Regarding the subsidies granted to public transport operators for passengers taking long-haul routes for short journeys, Mr Sun said the Government has been encouraging passengers to make appropriate use of short-haul routes and to assist them to understand the operation of two-way section fares through various publicity campaigns, so as to reduce the differential fares under the scheme and ensure proper use of public funds. 

The department will also devise a feasible plan to collect data on beneficiaries taking long-haul routes for short trips as soon as possible.