107-844: MTR Corporation Limited is a majority government-owned public transport operator and property developer in Hong Kong which operates the Mass Transit Railway , the most popular public transport network in Hong Kong. It is listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and is a component of the Hang Seng Index . The MTR additionally invests in railways across different parts of the world, including franchised contracts to operate rapid transit systems in London , Stockholm , Beijing , Hangzhou , Macao , Shenzhen , Sydney , and
214-454: A guideway . This is an uncommon mode of transportation (excluding elevators ) due to the complexity of automation. A fully implemented system might provide most of the convenience of individual automobiles with the efficiency of public transit. The crucial innovation is that the automated vehicles carry just a few passengers, turn off the guideway to pick up passengers (permitting other PRT vehicles to continue at full speed), and drop them off to
321-466: A joint-venture business , then known as Creative Star Limited. After three years of trials, the Octopus card was launched on 1 September 1997. Three million cards were issued in the first three months. The system's quick success was because MTR and KCR required all holders of Common Stored Value Tickets to replace them with Octopus cards within three months or have their tickets expire. Another reason
428-515: A UnionPay credit card, they can also purchase new Octopus cards in Huawei Wallet. The Australia-based company ERG Group (now Vix Technology ) was selected in 1994 to lead development of the Octopus project. It designed, built and installed the Octopus system. Operations, maintenance and development were undertaken by Octopus Cards Limited, and in 2005, it replaced the central transaction clearing house with its own system. The Octopus card
535-596: A bank after one working day, so drivers could be left over a weekend or longer waiting for their account to be reconciled. Installation and service fees are also a concern. Wong Yu-ting, the managing director of the Yellow Taxi Group, wanted retailers to offer discounts to Octopus taxi passengers, but the Transport Department objected as taxi fare discount is illegal in Hong Kong. In March 2018, Octopus Cards Limited announced plans to re-enter
642-543: A body of water. A foot-passenger ferry with many stops is sometimes called a water bus . Ferries form a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels, though at a lower speed. Ship connections of much larger distances (such as over long distances in water bodies like the Mediterranean Sea ) may also be called ferry services. A report published by
749-560: A bus in Hong Kong without using the Octopus card requires giving exact change, making it cumbersome compared to using the Octopus card. By November 1998, 4.6 million cards had been issued, and rising to 9 million by January 2002. In 2000, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority granted a deposit-taking company licence to the operator. This increased the proportion of permitted non-transport–related Octopus card transactions from 15% of turnover to 50%. About HK$ 416 million
856-594: A central database or computer. The stored data may be transmitted after hours, or in the case of offline mobile readers, may be retrieved by a hand held device, for example a Pocket PC . In practice, different data collection mechanisms are used by different transport operators, depending on the nature of their business. The MTR equips its stations with local area networks that connect the components that deal with Octopus cards – turnstiles , Add Value Machines, value-checking machines and customer service terminals. Transactions from these stations are relayed to
963-420: A decline in public transport usage. A number of sources attribute this trend to the rise in popularity of remote work, ride-sharing services, and car loans being relatively cheap across many countries. Major cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago, and London have seen this decline and have attempted to intervene by cutting fares and encouraging new modes of transportation, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. Because of
1070-610: A different, unsustainable model where property is used to subsidise operations and the construction of new stations. The position of Chief Executive was created in 1995. On 5 October 2000 the operator of the MTR network, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC), became Hong Kong's first rail company to be partially privatised , marking the beginning of the Hong Kong government's initiative to reduce its interests in public utilities. Prior to its listing on
1177-552: A few stops per city. These services may also be international. High-speed rail is passenger trains operating significantly faster than conventional rail—typically defined as at least 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph). The most predominant systems have been built in Europe and East Asia, and compared with air travel, offer long-distance rail journeys as quick as air services, have lower prices to compete more effectively and use electricity instead of combustion. Urban rail transit
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#17327808444921284-467: A new China T-union version card, which could be used in 336 mainland China cities. The Cantonese name for the Octopus card, Baat Daaht Tùng ( Chinese : 八 達 通 ), translates literally as "eight-arrived pass", where Baat Daaht may translate as "reaching everywhere". Less literally, the meaning is taken as the "go-everywhere pass". It was selected by the head of the MTR Corporation,
1391-551: A one-time upfront payment of HK$ 4.25 billion, a fixed annual payment of HK$ 750 million and a variable annual payment based on revenues generated from operation of the KCR system. In addition, MTRCL would make a payment of $ 7.79 billion for the acquisition of property and other related commercial interests. The KCRC's lines were less profitable than those of the MTRC, and the KCRC
1498-720: A payment business, Octopus Cards Limited is regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Octopus' non-payment businesses are not subjected to such regulation and are operated by other subsidiaries of Octopus Holdings Limited. As of 2007, Octopus Holdings Limited was a joint-venture business owned by five transport companies in Hong Kong; 57.4% by the MTR Corporation, 22.1% by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, 12.4% by Kowloon Motor Bus, 5% by Citybus, and 3.1% by New World First Bus. The Government of Hong Kong owns 76.54% of
1605-676: A railway with freight trains . A rapid transit railway system (also called a metro, underground, heavy rail, or subway) operates in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Heavy rail is a high-capacity form of rail transit, with 4 to 10 units forming a train, and can be the most expensive form of transit to build. Modern heavy rail systems are mostly driverless, which allows for higher frequencies and less maintenance cost. Systems are able to transport large numbers of people quickly over short distances with little land use. Variations of rapid transit include people movers , small-scale light metro and
1712-428: A report which detailed the history of MTR's revenue model. In it, it reported that the "Rail + Property" development model was originally formed to offset unexpected financial difficulties with creating the original MTR lines, with original estimates that MTR's property would account for approximately 20 per cent of its total revenue. The Executive Council also determined that since MTR had to apply for land grants from
1819-480: A set of trolley poles for mobility. Online Electric Vehicles are buses that run on a conventional battery, but are recharged frequently at certain points via underground wires. Certain types of buses, styled after old-style streetcars, are also called trackless trolleys, but are built on the same platforms as a typical diesel , CNG , or hybrid bus; these are more often used for tourist rides than commuting and tend to be privately owned. Passenger rail transport
1926-412: A single (or return) trip, or valid within a certain area for a period of time (see transit pass ). The fare is based on the travel class, either depending on the traveled distance, or based on zone pricing . The tickets may have to be shown or checked automatically at the station platform or when boarding, or during the ride by a conductor . Operators may choose to control all riders, allowing sale of
2033-413: A smaller suburban or town center. The stations are often combined with shuttle bus or park and ride systems. Frequency may be up to several times per hour, and commuter rail systems may either be part of the national railway or operated by local transit agencies. Common forms of commuter rail employ either diesel electric locomotives, or electric multiple unit trains. Some commuter train lines share
2140-574: A station and exchange passengers. There is often a potential conflict between this objective and optimising the utilisation of vehicles and drivers. The main sources of financing are ticket revenue, government subsidies and advertising. The percentage of revenue from passenger charges is known as the farebox recovery ratio . A limited amount of income may come from land development and rental income from stores and vendors, parking fees, and leasing tunnels and rights-of-way to carry fiber optic communication lines. Most—but not all—public transport requires
2247-553: A storage capacity of 1 to 64 kB , compared to 125 bytes provided by magnetic stripe cards. Octopus pre-dates the ISO/IEC 14443 standards so uses a nonstandard RFID system. The operating range of the reader/writer is between 30 and 100 mm (1.2 and 3.9 in) depending on the model used. Octopus is designed so that transactions are relayed for clearing on a store and forward basis, without any requirement for reader units to have realtime round-trip communications with
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#17327808444922354-608: A suburban rail system in Melbourne . The Mass Transit Railway Corporation ( Chinese : 地下鐵路公司 ) was established on 22 September 1972 as a government-owned statutory corporation to build and operate a mass transit railway system to meet Hong Kong's public transport needs. On 30 June 2000, the MTRC was succeeded by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL, 地下鐵路有限公司 ). As with the MTRC, the MTRCL's principal business
2461-494: A surplus of HK$ 278 million (US$ 35.6 million) in 1997. The MTR has continued to be one of the few profitable public transport systems in the world. There had been some discussion of merging the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), which was also government-owned and the MTRCL to make the territory's transport system more efficient. The MTRCL backed such a merger while the KCRC opposed
2568-431: A tram line. Light rail lines are, thus, essentially modernized interurbans . Unlike trams, light rail trains are often longer and have one to four cars per train. Somewhere between light and heavy rail in terms of carbon footprint , monorail systems usually use overhead single tracks, either mounted directly on the track supports or put in an overhead design with the train suspended. Monorail systems are used throughout
2675-405: A vehicle operated by Hong Kong Monetary Authority . There are two main types of Octopus card ( On-Loan and Sold ), and two less common types ( Airport Express Tourist and MTR Airport Staff ). On-Loan cards are issued for use in day-to-day functions, primarily for fare payment in transport systems. They are further classified into Child , Adult , Elder , and Personalised categories, with
2782-561: Is a reusable contactless stored value smart card for making electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong . Launched in September 1997 to collect fares for the territory's mass transit system , it has grown into a widely used system for transport and other retail transactions in Hong Kong. It is also used for purposes such as recording school attendance and permitting building access. The cards are used by 98 percent of
2889-693: Is a subsidiary of MTR Corporation UK based in Stockholm that operates in the public transportation sector through various subsidiaries. The CEO of MTR Nordic is Henrik Dahlin. Current Operations (ending November 2025): Former Operations: The company has also formed a joint-venture Beijing MTR Corporation Limited (Jinggang MTR) (49%) with Beijing Capital Group ("BCG") (49%) and the Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co ("BIIC") (2%) to build and operate for 30 years Line 4 , Daxing line , Line 14 , Line 16 and Line 17 of
2996-507: Is a term used for buses operating on dedicated right-of-way, much like a light rail. Coach services use coaches (long-distance buses) for suburb-to-CBD or longer-distance transportation. The vehicles are normally equipped with more comfortable seating, a separate luggage compartment, video and possibly also a toilet. They have higher standards than city buses, but a limited stopping pattern. Trolleybuses are electrically powered buses that receive power from overhead power line by way of
3103-496: Is a transit technology that moves people in motor-less, engine-less vehicles that are propelled by a steel cable. There are two sub-groups of CPT— gondola lifts and cable cars (railway) . Gondola lifts are supported and propelled from above by cables, whereas cable cars are supported and propelled from below by cables. While historically associated with usage in ski resorts , gondola lifts are now finding increased consumption and utilization in many urban areas—built specifically for
3210-529: Is also easily accessible by other transport means including buses and taxis . Other shopping centres developed and managed by the corporation include CityLink , Elements , Hanford Plaza, Ocean Walk, Paradise Mall , Plaza Ascot, Sun Tuen Mun Shopping Centre, Telford Plaza , The Lane , the LOHAS , and Luk Yeung Galleria . As of 2023, MTR Corporation owns 13 shopping malls across Hong Kong, classified into luxury, regional, and neighbourhood malls. MTR Nordic AB
3317-421: Is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems, such as these examples trams , light rail , rapid transit , people movers , commuter rail , monorail , suspension railways and funiculars . Commuter rail is part of an urban area's public transport. It provides faster services to outer suburbs and neighboring satellite cities . Trains stop at train stations that are located to serve
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3424-484: Is common with roads for automobiles. Interchanges are locations where passengers can switch from one public transport route to another. This may be between vehicles of the same mode (like a bus interchange), or e.g. between bus and train. It can be between local and intercity transport (such as at a central station or airport). Timetables (or 'schedules' in North American English ) are provided by
3531-610: Is dominated by airlines , coaches , and intercity rail . High-speed rail networks are being developed in many parts of the world. Most public transport systems run along fixed routes with set embarkation/disembarkation points to a prearranged timetable, with the most frequent services running to a headway (e.g.: "every 15 minutes" as opposed to being scheduled for any specific time of the day). However, most public transport trips include other modes of travel, such as passengers walking or catching bus services to access train stations. Share taxis offer on-demand services in many parts of
3638-430: Is especially valuable in cases where there are capacity problems for private transport. Investments in infrastructure are expensive and make up a substantial part of the total costs in systems that are new or expanding. Once built, the infrastructure will require operating and maintenance costs, adding to the total cost of public transport. Sometimes governments subsidize infrastructure by providing it free of charge, just as
3745-586: Is now commonly used in most public transport, fast food restaurants, supermarkets, vending machines , convenience stores, photo booths , parking meters , car parks , and many other retails business where small payments are frequently made. Over 33 million Octopus cards are in circulation as of 2018, with the card being used by 99 per cent of Hong Kong residents. Notable businesses that started accepting Octopus cards at an early stage included PARKnSHOP , Wellcome , Watsons , 7-Eleven , Starbucks , McDonald's , and Circle K . Between June 2003 and November 2004,
3852-465: Is one of the main businesses of the MTR, generating most of its profits. In 2009, with a net profit of HK$ 7.3 billion, MTR made HK$ 3.55 billion from property and HK$ 2.12 billion from transport operations. The MTR tries to develop suitable sites related to their new railway projects and their existing railway. For instance, the reclaimed land situated in West Kowloon owned by the MTR
3959-656: Is reasonably comfortable (seats, toilets, services), and can thus be scheduled and used pleasurably, productively or for (overnight) rest. Chauffeured movement is enjoyed by many people when it is relaxing, safe, but not too monotonous. Waiting, interchanging, stops and holdups, for example due to traffic or for security, are discomforting. Jet lag is a human constraint discouraging frequent rapid long-distance east–west commuting, favoring modern telecommunications and VR technologies. An airline provides scheduled service with aircraft between airports. Air travel has high speeds, but incurs large waiting times before and after travel, and
4066-703: Is recorded and the appropriate fare based on distance travelled is deducted when they validate their cards again at the exit point. The MTR usually charges less for journeys made using an Octopus card instead of conventional single-journey tickets. For example, the adult fare of a single journey from Chai Wan to Tung Chung is HK$ 25.7 with an Octopus card, and HK$ 28.5 with a single journey ticket. Other public transport operators also offer intermittent discounts for using Octopus cards on higher fares and round-trip transits on select routes. The first trial of using Octopus card readers in Hong Kong taxis started in June 2006 with
4173-452: Is required for entry. Payments are made by holding the card against or within a few centimetres of an Octopus card reader. The reader acknowledges payment by emitting a beep, and displaying the amount deducted and the remaining balance of the card. The standard transaction time for readers used for public transport is 0.3 seconds, and for retailers' card readers is 1 second. When using the MTR heavy rail system, each passenger's entry point
4280-484: Is the PopCorn mall located at Tseung Kwan O station . It is connected to the adjacent malls, high-end housing and hotels. Another example of such a shopping centre is Maritime Square located at Tsing Yi station . Maritime Square is a nautical-themed mall in which there are supermarkets, boutiques , bookstores, a cinema, and restaurants. Since Tsing Yi station serves as the transport hub for Tsing Yi , Maritime Square
4387-444: Is the conveyance of passengers by means of wheeled vehicles specially designed to run on railways. Trains allow high capacity at most distance scales, but require track , signalling , infrastructure and stations to be built and maintained resulting in high upfront costs. Intercity rail is long-haul passenger services that connect multiple urban areas. They have few stops, and aim at high average speeds, typically only making one of
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4494-469: Is the first major public transport system to use the Sony 13.56 MHz FeliCa radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. It is a contactless system, so users need only hold the card in close proximity to the reader. Data is transmitted at up to 212 kbit/s (the maximum speed for Sony FeliCa chips), compared to 9.6 kbit/s for other smart card systems like Mondex and Visa Cash . The card has
4601-721: Is therefore often only feasible over longer distances or in areas where a lack of surface infrastructure makes other modes of transport impossible. Bush airlines work more similarly to bus stops; an aircraft waits for passengers and takes off when the aircraft is full. Bus services use buses on conventional roads to carry numerous passengers on shorter journeys. Buses operate with low capacity (compared with trams or trains), and can operate on conventional roads, with relatively inexpensive bus stops to serve passengers. Therefore, buses are commonly used in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas, and for shuttle services supplementing other means of transit in large cities. Bus rapid transit (BRT)
4708-567: Is to operate the mass transit railway system. Following a successful initial public offering , the MTRCL was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 5 October 2000, however, the government is still the majority stakeholder in the MTRCL. On 11 September 2000, the financial secretary of the Hong Kong Government , Sir Donald Tsang , announced the partial privatisation of MTR Corporation Limited. The offering
4815-588: The Beijing Subway . The company formed a new joint-venture Hangzhou MTR (Hanggang MTR) with Hangzhou Metro Group in 2012 to operate Line 1 of the Hangzhou Metro for 28 years, in which MTR holds 49% of the stock, while Hangzhou Metro Group holds the other 51% of the stock. Line 5 of the Hangzhou Metro is operated by Hangzhou MTR Line 5 Ltd., which MTR holds 60% of the stock. The company concluded initials concession agreement to build phase 2 of
4922-503: The Hong Kong Stock Exchange , the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) was wholly owned by the Hong Kong government. MTR Corporation is responsible for the operation of MTR (and the Kowloon–Canton Railway since 2 December 2007). The rail lines are profitable, but the MTR Corporation derives most of its profits from property development (usually adjacent to railway stations) and other commercial activities in Hong Kong, including
5029-527: The Line 4 of the Shenzhen Metro , and to operate the whole line on a BOT basis for 30 years from 1 July 2010. The phase 2 of Line 4 have been in operation for passengers since 16 June 2011. Line 13 , which is currently under construction, is also confirmed to be operated by MTR Corporation (Shenzhen). MTR Railway Operations (Macau) Company Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation, operates
5136-594: The Taipa Line of the Macau Light Rapid Transit (MLRT or MLM) in Macau since the line's opening on 10 December 2019. MTR will operate and maintain the line for 80 months. Public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation , public transit , mass transit , or simply transit ) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by
5243-696: The mobile app was opportune during the COVID-19 pandemic , as it helped provide merchants customers with peace of mind regarding potential virus transmission. By July 2021, over 15,000 taxi drivers had installed Octopus Mobile POS. In collaboration with China UnionPay , Octopus Cards Limited introduced Octopus card usage to two Fairwood restaurants in Shenzhen in August 2006. In 2008, five Café de Coral locations in Shenzhen also started accepting Octopus. Value cannot be reloaded to Octopus cards in Shenzhen, but
5350-482: The stagecoaches traveling a fixed route between coaching inns , and the horse-drawn boat carrying paying passengers, which was a feature of European canals from the 17th century onwards. The canal itself as a form of infrastructure dates back to antiquity. In ancient Egypt canals were used for freight transportation to bypass the Aswan cataract. The Chinese also built canals for water transportation as far back as
5457-851: The warring States period which began in the 5th century BCE. Whether or not those canals were used for for-hire public transport remains unknown; the Grand Canal in China (begun in 486 BCE) served primarily the grain trade . The bus , the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Paris in 1662, although the service in question, Carrosses à cinq sols (English: five-sol coaches), which have been developed by mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal , lasted only fifteen years until 1677. Buses are known to have operated in Nantes in 1826. The public bus transport system
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#17327808444925564-487: The Automatic Add Value Service is available to automatically deduct money value from a customer's credit card to reload an Octopus card. The two Fairwood restaurants in Shenzhen that were enabled for Octopus card payments are located at Luohu Commercial City and Shenzhen railway station . Shenzhen became the first city outside Hong Kong in which Octopus cards may be accepted as payment. In Macau,
5671-551: The Hong Kong Government replaced its 17,000 parking meters with an Octopus card–operated system. Octopus card was then the only accepted form of payment until 2021 when new meters were introduced that accepted contactless payment , Faster Payment System and QR code payment. Octopus cards also double as access control cards in buildings and for school administrative functions. At certain office buildings, residential buildings, and schools, use of an Octopus card
5778-564: The KMB Customer Service Centre, New World First Ferry (NWFF) Octopus Service Centres, and the New World First Bus (NWFB) Customer Service Centre. A student on-loan Octopus Card was initially issued, but was discontinued in 2005. Above statuses have expiry date which can be checked at MTR enquiry machines. Holders may renew and extend their status period by application to MTR. Since 14 December 2017,
5885-679: The MTR Corporation (as of 31 December 2005) and wholly owns the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, so is the biggest effective shareholder of Octopus Holdings Limited, and of Octopus Cards Limited. The Octopus card is recognised internationally. It won the Chairman's Award at the World Information Technology and Services Alliance 's 2006 Global IT Excellence Awards for being the world's leading complex automatic fare collection and contactless smartcard payment system, and for innovative use of technology. In February 2007 it
5992-498: The MTR's Kowloon Bay headquarters through a Frame Relay wide area network , and then on to the central clearing house system (CCHS). Similar arrangements are in place for retailers such as 7-Eleven . Handheld devices are used to scan offline mobile readers, including those installed on minibuses. Buses either use handheld devices or a wireless system, depending on operator. The Octopus card uses encryption for all airborne communication and performs mutual authentication between
6099-515: The Netherlands many individuals use e-bikes to replace their car commutes. In major American cities, start-up companies such as Uber and Lyft have implemented e-scooters as a way for people to take short trips around the city. All public transport runs on infrastructure, either on roads, rail, airways or seaways. The infrastructure can be shared with other modes, freight and private transport, or it can be dedicated to public transport. The latter
6206-418: The Octopus card and system had never been hacked . Octopus card readers include a fail-safe that prevents them from initiating a transaction when more than one card is detected at a time. On 11 February 2009, Sing Tao Daily reported that the fail-safe has been abused for fare evasion through the railway station turnstile. Passengers were stacking four or more cards on the reader before breaking through
6313-626: The Octopus card for payment are located at the Rua do Campo and the Sands Casino . Shenzhen Tong cards are now widely used in Shenzhen instead, and a combined Shenzhen Tong – Hong Kong Octopus card is available, called the Hu Tong Xing, with RMB & HKD in different purses. The Macau Pass is now widely used in Macau. Spare coins can also be added on to Octopus cards at "Coin Carts",
6420-525: The Octopus card was introduced in December 2006 when two Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in the territory adopted its usage as payment. Similar to its usage in Shenzhen, an Octopus card may not be reloaded in Macau, and the currency exchange rate between the Macanese pataca and the Hong Kong dollar when using an Octopus card is MOP1:HKD1. The two Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Macau that adopted
6527-550: The Service Concession while the English name will remain unchanged. The KCRC is now a holding company of the KCR system, without actual railway operations. The merger was approved by shareholders of the MTRCL on 9 October 2007. The merger is effective for 50 years. This also resulted in changing the system's Chinese name from " 地鐵 " ("Subway") to " 港鐵 " "(Hong Kong Railway"). All adult Octopus Card holders would be
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#17327808444926634-539: The Smart Octopus. All card value and reward points are transferred and held in the Samsung Pay app. The physical card is then deactivated and can no longer be used. Users can also choose to purchase a new Adult or Elder Smart Octopus in the app. Smart Octopus provides features like instant transaction notification and in-app top-up function. In-app top-ups initially incurred a 2.5% handling fee but this fee
6741-543: The UK National Infrastructure Commission in 2018 states that "cycling is mass transit and must be treated as such." Cycling infrastructure is normally provided without charge to users because it is cheaper to operate than mechanised transit systems that use sophisticated equipment and do not use human power . Many cities around the world have introduced electric bikes and scooters to their public transport infrastructure. For example, in
6848-484: The Yellow Taxi Group in the New Territories . It was reported on 30 October that eight of the twenty taxis participating in the trial had dropped out. Part of the reason was technical – drivers needed to return to the office every day for accounting. Most taxi drivers in Hong Kong are self-employed and prefer to account their profit and rent on a daily basis, while Octopus transferred money through
6955-583: The card and reader based on the ISO 9798-2 three-pass mutual authentication protocol. In other words, data communications are only established when the card and reader have mutually authenticated based on a shared secret access key. This means that the security of the Octopus card system would be jeopardized should the access key be exposed. A stolen Octopus card reader could be used with stolen Octopus software, for example, to add value (up to HK$ 3,000) to any Octopus card without authorization. Nevertheless, as of 2003,
7062-446: The cardless Octopus, named "Smart Octopus", is available with Samsung Pay , a mobile payment platform provided by Samsung . By using the phone's NFC function and magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology, users can tap their selected Samsung devices on Octopus readers, paying in a similar way as a normal physical Octopus cards. Users can choose to transfer their card data from an existing anonymous On-Loan Adult or Elder Octopus to
7169-713: The commuter rail hybrid S-Bahn . More than 160 cities have rapid transit systems, totalling more than 8,000 km (4,971 mi) of track and 7,000 stations. Twenty-five cities have systems under construction. People movers are a special term for grade-separated rail which uses vehicles that are smaller and shorter in size. These systems are generally used only in a small area such as a theme park or an airport. Trams (also known as streetcars or trolleys) are railborne vehicles that originally ran in city streets, though over decades more and more dedicated tracks are used. They have higher capacity than buses, but must follow dedicated infrastructure with rails and wires either above or below
7276-447: The day or part of the day (known as clock-face scheduling ). Often, more frequent services or even extra routes are operated during the morning and evening rush hours . Coordination between services at interchange points is important to reduce the total travel time for passengers. This can be done by coordinating shuttle services with main routes, or by creating a fixed time (for instance twice per hour) when all bus and rail routes meet at
7383-508: The first three based on age and different amounts of fare concession. With the exception of the Personalised cards, On-Loan cards are anonymous; no personal information, bank account, or credit card details are stored on the card, and no identification is required for the purchase of these cards. If an owner loses a card, only the stored value and the deposit of the card are lost. On-Loan Octopus cards may be purchased at all MTR stations,
7490-541: The first to benefit from the merger. Student and concessionary Octopus holders would also benefit from the merger by further reducing $ 0.1 from their 50% off fares. Student Octopus holders would continue to pay the current reduced concessionary fares on the MTR network. Elderly Octopus holders would be introduced to a new fare system which only the elderly can enjoy a $ 2 fare to anywhere on the MTR network (excluding Airport Express, Light Rail, and Cross-Boundary Stations). In July 2021, Liber Research Community , an NGO, produced
7597-570: The general public unlike private transport , typically managed on a schedule, operated on established routes, and that may charge a posted fee for each trip. There is no rigid definition of which kinds of transport are included, and air travel is often not thought of when discussing public transport—dictionaries use wording like "buses, trains, etc." Examples of public transport include city buses , trolleybuses , trams (or light rail ) and passenger trains , rapid transit (metro/subway/underground, etc.) and ferries . Public transport between cities
7704-503: The government, it was the government's decision on how land above MTR stations should be allocated, stating "the grant of comprehensive development rights on land affected by railway installations will be discretionary". Land above stations would not necessarily be used to build private housing to maximize MTR's revenue, but could be used to solve issues of housing in Hong Kong , such as by developing public housing instead. The Executive Council also noted that "revenue from property development
7811-421: The iPhone or Apple Watch without needing to switch on the phone or authenticating the payment with Face ID , Touch ID , or password. Since 9 December 2020, Octopus card can be added to Huawei Pay. But it can only be used on Huawei phones sold in Hong Kong, Macau and China Users can download the Octopus app from Huawei AppGallery to purchase new Octopus cards or transfer physical Octopus cards. If users have
7918-434: The letting of retail and poster advertising space, ATM banking facilities, and personal telecommunication services . Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system currently (at September 2024) includes 271 km (168 mi) of rail with 167 stations, including 99 railway stations and 68 light rail stops. There are also several future projects . Property
8025-456: The location of their choice (rather than at a stop). Conventional transit simulations show that PRT might attract many auto users in problematic medium-density urban areas. A number of experimental systems are in progress. One might compare personal rapid transit to the more labor-intensive taxi or paratransit modes of transportation, or to the (by now automated) elevators common in many publicly accessible areas. Cable-propelled transit (CPT)
8132-400: The lost time and statistically higher risk of accident in private transport , together with the initial, running and parking costs. Loss of control , spatial constriction, overcrowding , high speeds/accelerations, height and other phobias may discourage use of public transport. Actual travel time on public transport becomes a lesser consideration when predictable and when travel itself
8239-487: The parent company of Octopus Cards Limited, in a naming competition in 1996. The number eight refers to the cardinal and ordinal directions , and the four-character idiom sei tùng baat daaht ( Chinese : 四 通 八 達 ), a common expression loosely translated as "reachable in all directions". Eight is also considered a lucky number in Chinese culture , and the phrase baat daaht can possibly be associated with
8346-454: The plan. In March 2004, the Hong Kong Government officially encouraged the two companies to merge. On 11 April 2006, the Hong Kong Government officially announced the details of the proposed merger. Under the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding the government has signed with KCRC, KCRC would grant a service concession to the MTRCL to operate the Kowloon–Canton Railway (KCR) system, with an initial period of 50 years. The KCRC would receive
8453-462: The population of Hong Kong aged 15 to 64 and the system handles more than 15 million transactions, worth over HK$ 220 million, every day. The Octopus card system was the world's second contactless smart card system, after the Korean Upass . It won the Chairman's Award at the World Information Technology and Services Alliance 's 2006 Global IT Excellence Awards for, among other things, being
8560-492: The public transport leg of their journey and how close it leaves them to their desired destination. Timeliness is how long they must wait for the vehicle. Directness records how far a journey using public transport deviates from a passenger's ideal route. In selecting between competing modes of transport , many individuals are strongly motivated by direct cost (travel fare/ ticket price to them) and convenience , as well as being informed by habit . The same individual may accept
8667-481: The purchase of a ticket to generate revenue for the operators. Tickets may be bought either in advance, or at the time of the journey, or the carrier may allow both methods. Passengers may be issued with a paper ticket, a metal or plastic token , or a magnetic or electronic card ( smart card , contactless smart card ). Sometimes a ticket has to be validated, e.g. a paper ticket has to be stamped, or an electronic ticket has to be checked in. Tickets may be valid for
8774-619: The purposes of mass transit. Many, if not all, of these systems are implemented and fully integrated within existing public transportation networks. Examples include Metrocable (Medellín) , Metrocable (Caracas) , Mi Teleférico in La Paz , Portland Aerial Tram , Roosevelt Island Tramway in New York City, and the London Cable Car . A ferry is a boat used to carry (or ferry ) passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, across
8881-615: The reduced emissions and other environmental impacts of using public transportation over private transportation, many experts have pointed to an increased investment in public transit as an important climate change mitigation tactic. Conveyances designed for public hire are as old as the first ferry service . The earliest public transport was water transport . Ferries appear in Greek mythology writings. The mystical ferryman Charon had to be paid and would only then take passengers to Hades . Some historical forms of public transport include
8988-798: The same magnetic cards in 1984. The Common Stored Value Ticket was a version that held a balance for use over multiple trips. In 1989, the Common Stored Value Ticket system was extended to Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) buses providing a feeder service to MTR and KCR stations, and to Citybus . It was also extended to a limited number of non-transport applications, such as transactions and payments at photo booths and for fast food vouchers. In 1993, MTR Corporation announced it would move to use contactless smart cards. In 1994 it partnered with four other major transit companies in Hong Kong, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , Kowloon Motor Bus , Citybus , and Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry , to create
9095-407: The shares of Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry were transferred to New World First Bus and New World First Ferry . In the same year, together with MTR Corporation, the company changed from non-profit making status to a profit making enterprise. Due to the expansion of the company's businesses, Octopus Holdings Limited was established in 2005 with Octopus Cards Limited restructured as a subsidiary. Being
9202-535: The similar-sounding faat daaht , which means "getting wealthy" ( Chinese : 發 達 ) in Cantonese. The English name Octopus card was also selected in the naming competition. It also references the number eight, since an octopus has eight tentacles . The logo used on the card features an infinity symbol . The Octopus card was originally introduced for fare payment on the MTR; but usage quickly expanded to other retail businesses in Hong Kong. The card
9309-471: The smoke filled subway tunnels from the steam engines. In 1894, Boston built the first subway in the United States, an electric streetcar line in a 1.5-mile tunnel under Tremont Street's retail district. Other cities quickly followed, constructing thousands of miles of subway in the following decades. In March 2020, Luxembourg abolished fares for trains, trams and buses and became the first country in
9416-490: The taxi payment market with a new mobile app for taxi drivers. The mobile app is able to receive funds by tapping the passenger's Octopus card to the device's Near-field communication (NFC) reader, or by allowing passengers to scan a QR code. In October 2020, Octopus Cards Limited launched Octopus Mobile POS, a more compact version of the Octopus reader to help taxi drivers and small- and medium-sized retailers accept cashless payments. The new Octopus Mobile POS, that works with
9523-432: The ticket at the time of ride. Alternatively, a proof-of-payment system allows riders to enter the vehicles without showing the ticket, but riders may or may not be controlled by a ticket controller ; if the rider fails to show proof of payment, the operator may fine the rider at the magnitude of the fare. Octopus Card The Octopus card ( Chinese : 八達通 ; Jyutping : baat3 daat6 tung1 , Cantonese )
9630-504: The track, limiting their flexibility. In the United States, trams were commonly used prior to the 1930s, before being superseded by the bus. In modern public transport systems, they have been reintroduced in the form of the light rail. Light rail is a term coined in 1972 and uses mainly tram technology. Light rail has mostly dedicated right-of-ways and less sections shared with other traffic and usually step-free access. Light rails line are generally traversed with increased speed compared to
9737-517: The transport operator to allow users to plan their journeys. They are often supplemented by maps and fare schemes to help travelers coordinate their travel. Online public transport route planners help make planning easier. Mobile apps are available for multiple transit systems that provide timetables and other service information and, in some cases, allow ticket purchase, some allowing to plan your journey, with time fares zones e.g. Services are often arranged to operate at regular intervals throughout
9844-459: The turnstile, deliberately triggering the fail-safe to avoid deduction of credit from their cards. If challenged they could blame a malfunction and present an Octopus card with a record of an unsuccessful transaction. The Octopus card system is owned and operated by Octopus Cards Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Octopus Holdings Limited . Founded as Creative Star Limited in 1994, it was renamed Octopus Cards Limited in 2002. In January 2001,
9951-408: The use and extent of public transport. The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) is the international network for public transport authorities and operators, policy decision-makers, scientific institutes and the public transport supply and service industry. It has over 1,900 members from more than 100 countries from all over the globe. In recent years, some high-wealth cities have seen
10058-536: The world (especially in Europe and east Asia , particularly Japan ), but apart from public transit installations in Las Vegas and Seattle, most North American monorails are either short shuttle services or privately owned services (With 150,000 daily riders, the Disney monorail systems used at their parks may be the most famous in the world). Personal rapid transit is an automated cab service that runs on rails or
10165-544: The world to make all public transport free. The Encyclopædia Britannica specifies that public transportation is within urban areas, but does not limit its discussion of the topic to urban areas. Seven criteria estimate the usability of different types of public transport and its overall appeal. The criteria are speed, comfort, safety, cost, proximity, timeliness and directness. Speed is calculated from total journey time including transfers. Proximity means how far passengers must walk or otherwise travel before they can begin
10272-608: The world's leading complex automatic fare collection and contactless smart card payment system. Its success led to the development of similar systems elsewhere, including Navigo card in Paris , Oyster card in London , Opal card in New South Wales , and NETS FlashPay and EZ-Link in Singapore . When Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) began operations in 1979, it used recirculating magnetic stripe cards as fare tickets. The Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) adopted
10379-745: The world, which may compete with fixed public transport lines, or complement them, by bringing passengers to interchanges. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low demand and for people who need a door-to-door service. Urban public transit differs distinctly among Asia, North America, and Europe. In Asia, profit-driven, privately owned and publicly traded mass transit and real estate conglomerates predominantly operate public transit systems. In North America, municipal transit authorities most commonly run mass transit operations. In Europe, both state-owned and private companies predominantly operate mass transit systems. For geographical, historical and economic reasons, differences exist internationally regarding
10486-445: Was a coin shortage in Hong Kong in 1997. With the transfer of Hong Kong away from British rule, there was a belief that older Hong Kong coins embossed with Queen Elizabeth II 's head would rise in value, so many people held on to them waiting for their value to increase. The Octopus system was quickly adopted by other Creative Star partners. KMB reported that by 2000 most bus journeys were completed using an Octopus card. Boarding
10593-787: Was built for 11 miles of track for the Union Passenger Railway in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1888. Electric streetcars could carry heavier passenger loads than predecessors, which reduced fares and stimulated greater transit use. Two years after the Richmond success, over thirty two thousand electric streetcars were operating in America. Electric streetcars also paved the way for the first subway system in America. Before electric streetcars, steam powered subways were considered. However, most people believed that riders would avoid
10700-976: Was deposited in the Octopus system at any given time as of 2000. On 6 November 2005, Octopus Cards Limited launched Octopus Rewards, a program that allows cardholders to earn rewards with participating merchants. Founding partners for the Octopus Rewards program included HSBC , UA Cinemas and Wellcome. The rewards are in the form of points, or reward dollars , stored on the card. The rate at which reward points are earned per dollar spent differs between merchants. Reward points can be redeemed as payment for purchases at partner merchants for at least HK$ 1 per reward dollar. New cards with greater levels of security were launched in 2015. Holders of first generation cards could voluntarily replace their cards at an Octopus Service Point without charge. From January 2018, first generation cards started to become unusable. From 26 March 2024 onwards, Octopus Card Limited launched
10807-461: Was developed into Union Square , a mixed-use development with residential, office, retail, and hotel space. The site includes the tallest commercial building in Hong Kong, the 118-storey International Commerce Centre . Central's landmark International Finance Centre is managed by Premier Plus, MTR's elite property management brand. The MTR Corporation invested heavily to develop large shopping centres around MTR stations . The most recent example
10914-403: Was for one billion shares , but this was increased to 1.15 billion due to high demand. On 5 October 2000, the company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with 600,000 shareholders. In June 2001, MTR was added to the Hang Seng Index . At the time of the initial public offering , the company was operating with a surplus of HK$ 360 million (US$ 46.1 million), which had increased from
11021-516: Was found that when customers added value to their cards at self-service add-value points in MTR and Light rail stations, their bank accounts were debited even if the transactions had been cancelled. Octopus Cards Limited claimed that the fault was due to an upgrade of communication systems. Initially, two cases were reported. The company then announced that use Electronic Payment Services (EPS) at add-value service points would be suspended until further notice, and that it had started an investigation into
11128-717: Was introduced to London in July 1829. The first passenger horse-drawn vehicle opened in 1806. It ran along the Swansea and Mumbles Railway . In 1825 George Stephenson built the Locomotion No 1 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway in northeast England, the first public steam railway in the world. The world's first steam-powered underground railway opened in London in 1863. The first successful electric streetcar
11235-520: Was less active in property development. It was widely considered that the government's choice was to avoid being criticised for selling assets of the KCRC, which it wholly owned, to MTRCL for an unreasonably low price. Leasing the operation rights of the KCR system to the MTRCL avoided actually selling the KCRC. On 2 December 2007, the Chinese name of the MTRCL was changed to 香港鐵路有限公司 ( lit. "Hong Kong Railway Corporation Limited") after being granted
11342-425: Was not originally envisaged as being used as a means of financing the capital cost of the railway itself" and that revenue from property development was to be used for a "contingency reserve", such as for offsetting excessive construction costs. The report noted that as of 2017, 40 per cent of MTR's revenue is from property and that the original intent of using property revenue for contingency purposes had shifted into
11449-557: Was removed in June 2020 when support for Apple Pay was launched. Since 2 June 2020, Octopus cards can be added to Apple Pay. As Octopus cards use FeliCa technology, only Apple Watch 3 , iPhone 8 , and subsequent model are supported. Octopus for Tourists was launched in August 2020. Users can choose to create a virtual Octopus card inside Apple Pay by topping up with their loaded credit cards, or to transfer data from an existing physical Octopus card. It supports Apple Pay's Express Transit function, which allows payments to be made from
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