I refer to the letter from Mandy Woo headlined, 'Fee unfair' (South China Morning Post, September 24), and would like to explain the rationale behind the charge of a $20 administration fee for joining the MTR student travel scheme.
The MTR Corporation is one of only two public transport operators offering half fares to Hong Kong students attending full-time day courses. The MTR scheme is in addition to the Government's subsidy scheme.
In the past, the corporation has absorbed all the costs associated with the student travel scheme, including the recruitment of part-time temporary workers to help process and produce the MTR student travel cards at the beginning of each school year.
In addition, there are expenses involved in maintaining a student travel office and information data bank to support the scheme throughout the whole year.
In the current difficult business climate, the corporation has to look for ways to contain costs, especially as it has not adjusted its fares since September 1997.
The decision to charge a $20 administration fee for students wishing to participate in the MTR student travel scheme is a commercial decision based on the consideration that the dis counted travel scheme should not be offered at an extra cost to the corporation or be subsidised by other fare-paying passengers.