Public spending on a HK$2 (26 US cents) concessionary fare scheme for elderly and disabled residents in Hong Kong has risen for three years while almost 10,000 cases of passenger misuse were found in the past 17 months, the welfare chief has revealed.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also said on Wednesday that authorities had no intention of cancelling the public transport concessionary scheme or changing its beneficiaries.

In a written reply to lawmaker Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming, Sun said about HK$40 billion (US$5 billion) had been allocated for the scheme in the 2023-24 financial year, representing 0.7 per cent of the government’s total annual operating expenditure.

The figure was higher than the HK$30.7 billion, or 0.5 per cent of annual expenditure, in 2022-23, and HK$13.9 billion, or 0.2 per cent of total public spending, the previous year.

Last year, HK$39.9 billion was reimbursed to public transport operators, with the MTR Corporation and franchised bus companies each receiving more than HK$15 billion, the highest amounts among all firms.

Introduced in 2012, the scheme allows passengers aged 65 and above, along with eligible individuals with disabilities, to access designated public transport such as the MTR, franchised buses, ferries and green minibuses at the concessionary fare.