By The SUN
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| Public bus companies want fares to go up by 10 to 20% (File) |
The news comes a day
after the operator of the Star Ferry applied for a 50% fare hike, which would
result in the regular adult fare on weekdays rising to between $5.20 and $6.40 for
a trip between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, or TST and Wan Chai.
In a statement issued Wednesday,
the bureau said the bus companies submitted their applications in the first
half of the year, but the government is still considering them.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
The companies sought
the fare rise, citing as reasons the rise in operating costs and the fall on
patronage due to Covid-19.
The bureau said any
increase will depend on several factors, including public impact and the
operators’ operational costs and income.
The applications will
be forwarded to the Legislative Council’s panel on transportation affairs and
the Transport Advisory Committee for review before they are passed on to the
Executive Council for final vetting.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
The bureau pointed out
that the government had previously exempted franchised buses from paying tolls
when using government toll tunnels, with the operators required to keep the
toll saved in the dedicated fund accounts they set up.
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| Star Ferry wants to double fares, scrap free rides for elderly |
Meanwhile, the Star Ferry operator cited the sharp drop in tourist arrivals as the main reason for its fare hike application.
A report by the
Legislative Council’s panel on transport, the Star Ferry’s daily patronage fell
to around 10,700 passengers on average in March, from around 53,900 in 2018.
Under the company’s proposal,
those who sit on the lower deck will pay up to $5.2 on weekdays, and $6.40 on
the upper deck.
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| Press for details |
For weekend trips, the
fare on the lower deck would go up to $7.20 and $8.40 on the upper deck.
Star Ferry has also
asked for permission to scrap its free rides for the elderly and instead charge
them the government-subsidized HK$2 trips.
But Ben Chan of the
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong said the operator should look
for other sources of revenue instead of a fare increase, such as posting advertisements
on the boats’ exterior and renting out their vessels for local tours.
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| BASAHIN ANG DETALYE |
Chan also suggested
the company could charge tourists more than locals, saying higher fares could lead
to an even bigger drop in patronage.
Fellow lawmaker
Michael Tien supported the fare hike, however, saying a ferry ride would still
be around 40% cheaper than taking the MTR or a cross-harbour bus.
But he rejected the
operator’s proposal to double the monthly ticket fare from HK$160 to HK$320,
saying low-income workers who take the ferry to work across the harbour would
be badly hit.
The Star Ferry is
owned and operated by Wharf Real Estate Investment, under a 15-year franchise
granted by the government, set to expire in March 2033.
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