The Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities ($2 Scheme) will be extended to cover trams as well as red minibus and kaito routes from 27 February 2022.
45 red minibus routes and 11 kaito routes have been approved by Transport Department to join the Scheme. For passenger ease, the $2 logo will be displayed prominently and atop the Octopus readers of the eligible routes – download the list here.
Even though almost everyone who wants to vote can easily walk to their polling station the government (scared of a low voter turnout?) has arranged free travel for all on Sunday 19 December, LEGCO election day.
“Members of the public will be able to enjoy free rides on the MTR, franchised buses and the tram.”
As the government puts it: “The above-mentioned public transport operators will provide free rides from the first to the last departure on that day. Services will be maintained at the normal level and be enhanced for busier routes and during peak periods subject to passenger demand and actual traffic conditions. The public transport operators will separately announce further details of the arrangement.”
The exact details of the free travel will be confirmed by the relevant companies.
As Hong Kong Tramways celebrated it’s new Guinness World Record – Hong Kong now has the world’s largest double-decker tram fleet, with 165 trams serving over 200,000 passengers every day. Managing Director Cyril Aubin said the tram operator wanted to celebrate the SAR’s Olympic success with the whole city, and announced a free week’s travel.
Aubin said the company had seen the MTR and KMB offer free rides to medallists. “But we thought $2.6 might be a bit offensive to the medallists.”
Nixon Cheung, Head of Commercial & Brand for HK Tramways, said the operator would need government approval for the free week, which he said would “hopefully” come in the last quarter of 2021.
HKGCC Free Ride Day was launched in 2011 as part of events to celebrate the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce’s birthday, which was established on May 29, 1861.
Members of the public can ride on all Hong Kong trams and the Star Ferry for free on 29 November.
HKGCC Free Ride Day
When: 29 November, 2016
Where: HK Trams, Star Ferry
How much: Free
