Dozens of people protested outside a bus company headquarters yesterday against the cancellation of fare concessions that will affect more than 500,000 passengers.
Members of three political parties and an elderly concern group gathered outside the Kowloon Motor Bus offices in Lai Chi Kok to oppose the move by four bus companies, announced on Wednesday.
Civic Party executive committee member Yu Kun-wai said the bus companies should not cancel the discounts at a time when people where struggling because of the global financial crisis.
'Spending on transport has always accounted for a big part of Hong Kong people's income and workers have long complained that fares are too high,' he said.
The axed concessions - a HK$2 flat fare on Sundays and public holidays for elderly passengers and same-day-return discounts - will come to an end at different times next year. Kowloon Motor Bus, Long Win, New World First Bus and its wholly owned subsidiary Citybus said on Wednesday that they could not extend the concessions, which were introduced three years ago as part of fare adjustments.
The companies said they could not afford to continue the discounts, as they had been hit hard by rising fuel, labour and maintenance costs.