Travellers deserve a better deal, say lawmakers
Lawmakers have complained that minimum fare cuts of 5 to 10 per cent for medium and long-distance journeys after the railway merger do not go far enough.
While all the main political parties welcomed the merger, some called for more concessions for passengers.
Under the new fare structure, passengers on medium-distance routes with fares ranging from $8.50 to $11.90 will be guaranteed a discount of 5 per cent, while the discount for long-distance fares of more than $12 a trip will be at least 10 per cent.
A 'second boarding charge' - an additional cost now incurred by passengers switching from one rail system to another - which ranges from $1 to $7 - will be scrapped.
Cross-border commuters and those currently paying less than $8.50 a trip will not enjoy a discount. But all Octopus card users will pay 20 cents less for each trip. The government expects 2.8 million passengers to benefit from the concession.
Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said 1.5 million passengers, or more than half, would see their fares cut by at least 5 per cent. But Dr Liao said the scrapping of the second boarding charge meant that on some routes - for example between Sha Tin and Kwun Tong - the discount could be as high as 25 per cent.
The elderly will enjoy a special flat fare of $2 for rail services on Sundays and public holidays. This concession will last for a year.
Democratic Party legislator Andrew Cheng Kar-foo said the reductions were inadequate and unfair. He called for a standard 15 per cent cut for trips costing $12 or more. Medium and short trips costing less than $12 should be given a 10 per cent reduction.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said short-trip passengers should enjoy reductions as well.
'We believe there is room for bigger concessions in light of the railway [companies] surplus and the savings from the merger,' the party said.
An adjustment mechanism that allowed fares to rise or fall will come into force on the day of the merger. It is similar to one adopted by bus operators and takes into account the Consumer Price Index, wage index and productivity gains.
Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong, of the Coalition to Monitor Public Transport and Utilities, feared the new system might push up fares. 'The mechanism does not take into account what low-income people can afford,' he said.
Liberal Party vice-chairwoman Miriam Lau Kin-yee, who represents the transport sector in Legco, suggested introducing monthly tickets for cross-border passengers to help reduce their burden.
The Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood petitioned the Executive Council for 10 per cent across-the-board cuts. The group also urged the government to finalise the proposed Sha Tin to Central link as soon as possible.
