I refer to the letter headlined 'Octopus no help to old and young on minibus' published in the Technology section on June 24.
At present, some transport operators offer concession fares to students and elderly Octopus cardholders.
However, we want to emphasise that it is the transport operators that make the decision on their pricing and discounted fare structure, including the payment method they accept, be it cash or other forms of card payment.
Octopus intends to serve our transport operators and merchants effectively and efficiently through the provision of payment clearance functions and smart-card services.
We do not influence the way they conduct their business, but we are happy and ready to provide technical and operational assistance whenever required.
We hope this helps clear up any misunderstanding of Octopus' role in the market and how we work with our transport operators and merchants.