Hong Kong minibus driver arrested for using senior citizen Octopus cards to rack up HK$150,000
Driver took advantage of a government scheme recently extended to green minibus operators in which they get the balance of discounted fares for elderly and disabled persons
A minibus driver accused of cheating the government out of HK$150,000 by using senior citizen Octopus cards was arrested in the early hours yesterday.
The 49-year-old driver of a green-topped minibus was picked up after police intercepted his vehicle in Wong Tai Sin at about 12.30am on Thursday. Officers seized 21 senior citizen Octopus cards from him.
He was suspected of using the cards 7,500 times over the past six months to take advantage of government subsidies in its concession scheme designed for seniors and people with disabilities.
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Tang Wai-ying, chief inspector of the commercial crime bureau, said: “He tapped the cards on the minibus’s reader for passengers that did not exist.”
“Initial investigation showed that he acted alone. We are still looking into how and with whom the profits were shared,” Tang added.
It was the first case of its kind uncovered by police.
It was understood that in addition to his basic salary, the man, an employee of a minibus company, received a share that amounted to 20 to 30 per cent of each passenger’s fare.
The concession scheme launched in mid-2012. Under the scheme, elderly persons aged 65 or older and disabled persons can take most modes of public transport by paying HK$2 per trip with an Octopus card. Government returns the rest of the fare to the operators. The scheme was extended to most green minibus routes in March this year.
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The driver, who claimed to have worked for two years, operated the overnight 501S route between Kwun Tong and Sheung Shui and charged HK$22.5 per ride. The government provided an HK$20.5 subsidy each time a senior card was used.
As the driver racked up charges, the unusually high number of senior citizens reflected as taking minibuses late at night caught the attention of the Transport Department, which immediately referred the case to police.
The department said it would continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent the government scheme from being abused.
“We established audit and assurance standards to strengthen the internal control system,” a spokesperson said, adding that it deployed staff to conduct “on-site inspections to monitor implementation”.
The department said it regularly examined patronage and differential fare settlement reports submitted by public transport operators and recorded on Octopus cards.
