ENG-2019 — Page 268

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Transport

remote areas. Ferries recorded a daily average of about 59,700 passenger trips within the harbour and about 62,500 passenger trips serving the outlying islands in 2019.

Cross-boundary Ferries

Cross-boundary ferry services to Macao and 11 Mainland ports operate from the Hong Kong- Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal in Tuen Mun. In 2019, cross-boundary ferries transported 12.05 million travellers to and from Macao, and 2.34 million to and from Mainland ports.

Local Vessels

In 2019, about 18,970 passenger, cargo, fishing and pleasure vessels were licensed in Hong Kong to provide services for the port and the community.

Public Transport Fare Concessions

The government encourages public transport operators to offer fare concessions, taking into account their operating and financial conditions, the market situation and passenger needs.

MTRCL concessions include monthly passes for the East Rail, West Rail and Tung Chung lines, a Student Travel Scheme, fare concessions for children, Fare Savers and interchange discounts.

Franchised bus companies offer concessionary half fares for children under 12. Section fares are available for about 80 per cent of mid-distance and long-distance routes, involving about 440 routes. The companies also provide about 305 bus-bus interchange concession schemes, covering about 400 bus routes, or about 72 per cent of all routes. The tramway and ferries have discount fares for the elderly and children, and some GMB routes grant concessionary fares.

Government's Fare Concessions and Subsidies

The Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons. with Disabilities encourages the elderly aged 65 or above and the disabled to participate in community activities. Beneficiaries pay $2 per trip on designated public transport with designated Octopus cards, covering general MTR lines', franchised bus routes2, ferry routes3 and GMB routes. In 2019, the scheme recorded about 1,424,000 passenger trips on average daily.

The non-means-tested Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme was launched on 1 January to relieve the fare burden of commuters who travel daily on local public transport and incur relatively high public transport expenses. It provides a government subsidy amounting to 25 per cent of the actual monthly public transport expenses in excess of $400, subject to a cap of $300 per month. The scheme covers the MTR, franchised buses, GMBs, ferries and trams, as well as designated routes of RMBS, kaitos and non-franchised buses providing residents' and

1 General MTR lines refer to domestic services including the Light Rail and MTR buses in the north-western New Territories, and excluding the Airport Express, East Rail Line services between Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau and Racecourse stations, and the first-class service of the East Rail Line.

Excluding 'A' and 'NA' routes to the airport, racecourse routes, and routes operating on a booking basis.

2

3

Excluding deluxe class services.

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