Jake's ViewChanges in Hong Kong rail fares unfair? Where’ve you been living?

Pressure has been mounting for the city’s sole railway operator to review the [fare adjustment] mechanism, which has been widely criticised as unfair and as safeguarding the listed company’s profits rather than the interests of the community.

SCMP, March 30

Here is a factoid for you. To ride the London Underground from Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square, one single stop, a trip you could do as fast on foot, will cost you £4.90, or HK$54.20 at current exchange rates.

To ride our Mass Transit Railway from Chai Wan to Tuen Mun, from the furthest southeast point of the network to the furthest northwest, a journey that will take you well over an hour to complete, costs HK$36.50.

Yes, that’s right. The longest trip you can make on the MTR still costs a third less than the lowest fare for a single short hop on the London tube.

Of course, if you are a regular commuter in London you might use the Oyster card. In that case, the one stop hop will cost you sterling £2.40 (HK$26.50). This is slightly less than HK$27.40 Octopus fare from Chai Wan all the way to Tuen Mun. I cannot deny it. Big win for the tube.