Starting tomorrow (January 1 2019) any fares paid on a wide array of public transportation, including DB ferry and bus services, will be a part of the government’s new Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme. All commuters whose monthly travel expenses exceed HK$400 a month, regardless of age and income, can receive a 25% rebate on their fares as part of the Scheme, with the maximum reimbursement capped at HK$300 a month.
According to a pamphlet circulated by the Transport Department, the Scheme applies to the MTR, franchised buses (Citybus, KMB etc.), green minibuses, ferries, trams, as well as certain red minibuses, kaitos, and “non-franchised buses providing residents’ services and employees’ services approved by the Transport Department.” For the latter group, routes that have approved to be part of the Scheme will have the below logo on their relevant Octopus card readers:
Discovery Bay ferry rides, including those paid for through T Cards, will be eligible for the rebate. In a notice published on Christmas Eve, Discovery Bay Transportation explained that expenses incurred through topping up the cards at either Discovery Bay or Central pier will be registered on passengers’ Octopus cards, as that is where the subsidy will be credited to. The purchasing of single-trip tokens by cash and the refundable deposit on the T Card will however not be included.
Starting the 16th of February, subsidies can be collected for January at designated collection points, all 7-Eleven, Circle-K and Wellcome stores, the Octopus App, and Octopus service points. Collection points have been installed at both Discovery Bay and Central piers, as well as every MTR station.
For more information on the Scheme, visit ptfss.gov.hk, or call 1823.
Tags: Discovery Bay Transport, public transportation, subsidy scheme
