Civic Party legislator Ronny Tong Ka-wah has called on the government to expand its transport allowance scheme to cover low-income residents in all districts.
Instead of only subsidising residents who had to work in other districts, the HK$300 monthly allowance should also be given to employees who had to travel within their district council boundaries for work, Mr Tong said.
That follows a survey by Civic Party lawmaker and Chinese University assistant social work professor Wong Hung, who found that many low-income women travelling to work within their own districts were struggling to pay transport costs.
They are excluded from a Commission on Poverty proposal that would give workers living in Tuen Mun, Islands, Yuen Long and North districts a HK$600 per month travel allowance if they work at least 18 hours a week in other districts.
The poll covered 706 women aged 21 to 64 living in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long, Fanling, Sheung Shui and Tai Po from July to September last year.
Of the 241 who worked, 70 per cent of them worked within their districts.
