Government should encourage operators to ease burden on commuters, says motion

Lawmakers last night unanimously passed a motion urging reductions in transport fares to ease the economic burden on passengers.

The non-binding motion, which urged the Government to encourage transport operators to reduce fares - while taking into account operating conditions - was backed by the 41 lawmakers in attendance, who voted after a three-hour debate.

Major transport operators, including the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) and Kowloon Motor Bus, were non-committal on the call despite the unanimous vote.

Secretary for Transport Nicholas Ng Wing-fui said any government intervention would discourage investment and affect transport development.

He said the Government would encourage operators to provide more concessions, but stressed deciding on fare cuts was up to them.

Moving the motion, Lau Kong-wah, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, said that fares remained high despite pay cuts for workers and deflation. Mr Lau said passengers were enraged by press reports of the generous perks for KCRC executives, which included limousines, pleasure boats and club memberships. 'The KCRC is generous to itself, but mean to people calling for a fare cut. Is that fair?' he asked.

Describing the KCRC as an independent kingdom, Democrat James To Kun-sun said senior government officials were responsible for what he branded extravagant spending.