District council election hopefuls in Hong Kong fight for credit for tiny feat
As campaigning in district council elections gets under way, candidates race to take credit for a 10 cent cut in a planned bus fare increase
Campaigning for district council elections appears to have kicked off early as hopefuls compete to claim the credit for saving constituents the grand sum of 10 cents.
A banner in Argyle Street, aimed at shoppers headed to Mong Kok's street markets, trumpets Andy Yu Tak-po's success in reducing the planned fare increase for the 79K green minibus by 10 cents - to HK$4.70 from a proposed HK$4.80. The route runs between Mong Kok East Station and the Park Avenue private housing estate in Tai Kok Tsui, part of the Fu Pak constituency where Yu, vice-chairman of the Civic Party's Kowloon West branch, has been garnering support over the past two years.
He is tipped to be on the list of candidates fighting to represent one of the 19 constituencies that make up the Yau Tsim Mong District Council when Hongkongers go to the polls in November.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring constituency of Charming, named after the Charming Garden residential estate, another banner proclaims the success of Yau Tsim Mong District Council chairman Chung Kong-mo in cutting fare increases on the 79K.
Chung, who is expected to seek re-election in November, pinpoints the section of the route between Reclamation Street and Luen Wan Street in Mong Kok when saying his successful lobbying saw the fare for that stretch cut to HK$3.40 from a planned HK$3.50.
He said his lobbying led the hike along the whole route to decrease to HK$4.70. "I pay attention to every detail in my district," said Chung, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.