Applications for one-off subsidy for registered owners of goods vehicles and green minibus operators under Anti-epidemic Fund open today

     The Transport Department (TD) announced that the Government has earmarked about $1.3 billion to provide a subsidy to registered owners of goods vehicles and green minibus operators under the Anti-epidemic Fund. Applications for the subsidy are open today (April 28).
 
Goods Vehicles
 
     A one-off non-accountable subsidy of $10,000 will be provided to each eligible registered owner of a goods vehicle(s) for each goods vehicle. The TD started issuing letters from April 27 and will continue to do so until mid-May to inform all eligible registered owners of goods vehicles of the detailed arrangements regarding registration for collection of the subsidy. Starting from today until September 30, eligible registered owners of goods vehicles who have received the letters must use the registration PIN provided in the letters for submission of registrations through GovHK (www.gov.hk/oneoffsubsidy). After successful completion of the registrations, the subsidy will be disbursed to the designated local bank account provided in the registration through autopay in about two to three weeks. After payment of the subsidy, registered owners of goods vehicles will receive the remittance advice.
 
     Eligible registered owners of goods vehicles will have sufficient time to submit registrations. There is no need to rush for registrations at the beginning of the registration period.
 
     Furthermore, the Government will bear the cost of nucleic acid tests for cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers at five land-based ports in Shenzhen and Zhuhai (namely Sha Tau Kok, Man Kam To, Huanggang, Shenzhen Bay Port and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port). Cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers who conduct nucleic acid tests in Hong Kong can apply for the subsidy on an accountable basis and the maximum amount is $350 per test. Detailed arrangements will be announced in due course.
 
Green Minibus Operators
 
     A one-off non-accountable subsidy of $30,000 per green minibus (GMB) will be provided to each holder of Passenger Service Licence-Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Service (GMB operator) who has been approved to operate a relevant package of the GMB route(s). The TD briefed the GMB trade today on the arrangement of the subsidy and the application details, with the distribution of the application forms. The GMB operators are required to send the completed application forms to the TD by post on or before September 30. After the TD has verified the submissions from the GMB operators, the subsidy will be disbursed through autopay in about one month.
 
     To assist the transport trades to cope with the operational demands in the prevailing economic environment, the Government has rolled out the fuel subsidy and one-off subsidy measures under the first round of the Anti-epidemic Fund progressively. As of mid-April, the TD has received applications for subsidies from three franchised bus companies, 10 franchised and licensed ferry operators, Hong Kong Tramways Limited, registrations from about 1 700 registered owners of non-franchised public buses, school private light buses and hire cars, and has disbursed over $100 million of the subsidies. 

     For details on the subsidy for transport trades under the Anti-epidemic Fund, please visit the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk).
 

Ends/Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Issued at HKT 17:40

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