政壇：睇社論學英文

票價機制只換湯 港鐵暴利不換藥

With only a superficial change in the fare adjustment mechanism, MTR is still profiteering

千呼萬喚之下，港府完成港鐵票價可加可減機制檢討，將會加入新計算因素，港鐵在今年六月加價幅度相應下調，並會推出一系列票價優惠回饋乘客。連串措施洋洋大觀，可惜美麗包裝掩飾不了虛應民情的事實，港鐵在大賺特賺之下繼續加價，社會殷切期望的票價穩定基金無影無蹤，只是巧立名目小修小補，以小恩小惠糊弄市民。

港府官員沾沾自喜稱，使用新機制後，港鐵今年加幅將由百分之三點二，下調至百分之二點七，加幅下調半個百分點，導致港鐵今年票價收入減少近二億九千萬元。問題是以港鐵年賺百億元的盈利能力，根本微不足道。港鐵每年盈利除了票價收入，還包括沿線物業發展利潤，以及海外業務收益等，港鐵一向把帳目分開計算，拒絕以其他收益補貼鐵路營運開支，一直為人詬病。當局今次在新機制引入分享盈利因素，表面上採納了民意訴求，可是計算比例只屬象徵式，分享盈利之說，只是口惠實不至。

港鐵是主要交通服務機構，每年賺得愈多，代表市民負擔愈沉重。所謂票價機制檢討，不是保障市民利益，而是保障港鐵利益，所謂「民生無小事」，不知從何說起。

After a thousand entreaties, the Hong Kong Government eventually completed its review on the MTR fare adjustment mechanism and decided that new factors be added to the fare computation. When the MTR raises its fare this June, the rate will be relatively lower and concessions will be introduced to reward passengers. The series of measures look grandiose; unfortunately their flashy packaging cannot hide the fact that they are merely a Government's empty show. MTR is reaping huge profits but keeps on increasing fares, and the Fare Stabilization Fund for which the public yearns is nowhere to be seen. The transport company just patches up here and there under all sorts of pretexts, trying to pacify people with small favours.

Complacently, government officials announced that the new mechanism would cut MTR's fare increase this year by 0.5%, from 3.2% to 2.7%. As a result, MTR will be making some $290 million less from fare income this year. The problem is, with the MTR's annual profit of tens of billions of dollars, this is just a drop in the ocean. On top of fare income, MTR also makes money from its property developments along MTR lines and overseas businesses. The company has always been criticized that it separates its accounts and refuses to subsidize railway operating expenditure with other proceeds. On the surface, the Government has responded to people's criticism by adding the Productivity Factor value to the new mechanism. But the proportion in the calculation is just symbolic, rendering the claimed profit-sharing a lip service.

MTR is a major public transport provider. The more money it makes each year, the heavier the burden on the passengers. The so-called review on the fare adjustment mechanism was not conducted for protecting the interest of the public, but that of the MTR. Where is the Chief Executive's pledge of “no livelihood issue is too trivial”?

重要生字

profiteer：謀取暴利

lip service：口惠實不至

no livelihood issue is too trivial：民生無小事