Latest news with #LoWai-kwok
HKFP
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- HKFP
Lawmakers criticise gov't proposal to hike parking fines to HK$400, warning it will cause ‘resentment'
Hong Kong's pro-establishment lawmakers have criticised the government's proposal to increase parking fines to HK$400, warning the move will cause 'resentment' amid a shortage of car parks. The Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Transport Department, and the Hong Kong Police Force attended a meeting at the legislature on Friday for a debate on the proposal to increase tickets for traffic-related offences, including parking fines, from HK$320 to HK$400. Lo Wai-kwok, a lawmaker representing the engineering sector, said that drivers, especially those driving commercial vehicles, suffered from a severe shortage of car parks. 'I'm sorry, but I have to say that your department is the one creating the most resentment in Hong Kong. The shortage of parking spaces is so severe. How can you handle it?' Lo said in Cantonese. He did not specify which government department he was referring to. Lo said that in Kowloon City, trucks parked in front of their shops after work – which were not legal parking spots – were rarely ticketed in the past as the area was quiet. However, he suggested that the situation had changed. 'The other night, I saw a truck in front of a grocery store. It had its shutters down and was closed. Two beef jerkies!' Lo said, using the Cantonese slang for parking tickets. 'These shops might not even make enough in a day to cover the cost of the beef jerkies.' Pro-establishment lawmaker Frankie Yick said that although the number of carparks for private vehicles had increased over the past few years, there was still a severe shortage of carparks for commercial vehicles in the city. Yick said that many trucks were often ticketed when the drivers rushed to use the toilets, urging authorities to handle the fines on commercial vehicles and on private vehicles differently. In response, Liu Chun-san, undersecretary for transport and logistics, said the policy on illegal parking fines aimed to prevent traffic congestion and ensure road safety. As both private and commercial vehicles are involved in these issues, there will be no distinction in penalties for the two types of vehicles, Liu said. The authorities are actively working to increase various drop-off and parking spaces, but they encounter difficulties finding suitable spaces in urban areas, he added. According to a paper submitted to the Legislative Council's Panel on Transport last week, the city's illegal parking penalty has remained unchanged since 1994, while the Consumer Price Index has risen by more than 70 per cent.
HKFP
25-04-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Increasing Airport Express fares could drive passengers away, lawmakers say
Increasing Hong Kong's Airport Express fares could drive passengers to choose other modes of transport instead, lawmakers have said. Speaking at a Legislative Council Panel on Transport meeting on Friday, lawmaker Dominic Lee cited figures showing that ridership of the Airport Express had only recovered to 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. 'Actually, airport statistics and figures from some airlines show that their recovery is higher than 70 per cent,' he said in Cantonese. 'Does this show that after the pandemic, there are some citizens who used to take the Airport Express but now choose other ways to get to the airport?' he said. 'If you increase the fares… would it further affect ridership?' On Tuesday, the MTR Corporation (MTRC) – which operates the Airport Express – proposed hiking the airport train's fares, citing financial challenges due to a drop in passengers since the pandemic. Currently, the adult Octopus fares for the Airport Express from Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Tsing Yi Stations to the airport are HK$110, HK$100, and HK$65 respectively. The proposals could see the fares rise to HK$120, HK$105, and HK$73. On Friday, lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok also expressed concern that the Airport Express was facing competition from other modes of transport. He said he observed that tourists and Hongkongers were using ride-hailing apps more often. 'I think this has affected the Airport Express's business,' Lo said in Cantonese. Commissioned in 1998, the Airport Express links the airport with Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Tsing Yi stations. Fares have only been raised once, in 2017, according to a Legislative Council paper written by the MTR Corporation. Meanwhile, Hong Kong is also set to increase its airport departure tax from HK$120 to HK$200. Authorities said on Wednesday that they would push ahead with the plan amid lawmakers' concerns that it could weaken the city's competitiveness. Hong Kong's status as an aviation hub took a major hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, when strict testing rules and mandatory quarantine periods in place for over three years led airlines to cut their routes to and from the city. Airport traffic figures have struggled to recover since. In 2024, the city saw 53.1 million passengers, down from 71.5 million in 2019.
HKFP
24-04-2025
- Business
- HKFP
Increase in Hong Kong airport departure tax could hurt city's competitiveness, lawmaker says
An increase in Hong Kong's airport departure tax could hurt the city's competitiveness, a lawmaker has said, after the government doubled down on plans to increase the levy from HK$120 to HK$200 despite criticism. Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok said on a Commercial Radio programme on Thursday that amid competition from other destinations such as the Greater Bay Area, Singapore and Thailand, a tax hike could deter short-haul travellers. 'We must consider how this affects our position against neighbouring hubs,' Lo said in Cantonese. His comments came after the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau defended the tax increase in a letter to Legislative Council members on Wednesday, saying the impact of the hike would be 'minimal.' The bureau said that taking into account the per capita spending of tourists – except those from mainland China – and excluding the cost of air tickets, the proposed increase of HK$80 accounts for around 1 per cent of the overall travelling cost. 'The proposed increase of [the airport departure tax] should not provide a strong incentive for travellers to switch to other airports for travelling,' the bureau wrote. Lawmaker Perry Yiu, who represents the tourism sector, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that he was 'disappointed' by the authorities' response. 'While [I] understand that the SAR government is doing its best to increase its reserves and address the deficit, the letter did not respond to my and the sector's concerns,' he wrote. He added that the airport's traffic had only recovered to 74 per cent compared with 2019 levels, while neighbouring aviation hubs' recovery rates were at least 90 per cent. Deepening deficit Financial Secretary Paul Chan first announced the plan to increase the airport departure tax during the budget address in February as one of several measures to boost the city's reserves amid a deepening deficit. The hike – planned to come into effect on October 1 – would bring an estimated HK$1.6 billion in revenue annually, Chan said. Hong Kong logged an estimated HK$87.2 billion deficit in the 2024/25 financial year, a result attributed to a drop in land sales. In the Wednesday letter, the government said it had been in contact with the Airport Authority and major airlines to gather their views on the proposed increase. 'We consider the current rate of increase reasonable and therefore have no intention to adjust it, nor will we increase [airport departure tax] in phases or defer the increase,' the government wrote. It added that, compared with other measures to increase government revenue, such as salaries and profits tax, raising the airport departure tax would only affect air passengers. Hong Kong's status as an aviation hub took a major hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, when strict testing rules and mandatory quarantine periods in place for over three years led airlines to cut their routes to and from the city. Airport traffic figures have struggled to recover since. In 2024, the city saw 53.1 million passengers, down from 71.5 million in 2019.
South China Morning Post
24-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong urged to offer rich tenants priority ‘carrot' to buy subsidised flats
Well-off Hong Kong public housing tenants should be given priority to buy subsidised homes as an incentive to move up the housing ladder, a lawmaker and a concern group have said, after authorities announced a plan to increase rent and evict rich households. Advertisement Housing panel lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok on Monday called on authorities to offer well-off tenants the 'carrot' of priority in purchasing subsidised flats to encourage them to own homes. Under the Home Ownership Scheme, 40 per cent of subsidised flats are reserved for households with elderly members and families with newborns. These groups will also be given priority when it comes to selecting homes. 'We can consider the current policies for buying subsidised housing, for example prioritising families with elderly or young couples with children. Can we extend these benefits to well-off tenants?' Lo, also a Housing Authority member, told a radio show. 'However, there also needs to be a balance between benefiting the richer tenants and those waiting to purchase subsidised flats. I believe the Housing Authority will take these into consideration.' Advertisement Man Yu-man, chairman of the Federation of Public Housing Estates, agreed these advantages could encourage rich tenants to buy homes.
