North Point MTR gate-climbing clip sparks fare evasion debate
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A nine-second video circulating online shows a man in a white top, wearing a mask and carrying a backpack, crawling under an MTR gate at Fortress Hill Station near Exit A. Witness accounts shared online said he first crawled into the paid area and then crawled back out at the same station, while no one was seen stopping him in the clip.
Key Points
- The video was circulated online on October 23 and was said to have been filmed at Fortress Hill Station near Exit A, according to both reports.
- In the footage, the man crawls out from beneath a gate; the gate detects the movement and shows a red cross signal
- The clip also captured someone making two audible exclamations, but neither report said anyone stepped forward to stop the man
- The original poster said the most striking part was that the man had crawled into the station and then crawled back out at the same station.
- Some online commenters claimed MTR staff had said the man paid with the wrong QR code, but the poster questioned why he did not use a staff passage instead.
Why It Matters
The reports note that even if the man entered and exited at the same station, that would not necessarily mean no offence was committed under railway rules. MTR frontline staff generally impose a HK$1,000 surcharge for fare evasion or underpayment on the heavy rail network, while convictions under the Mass Transit Railway By-laws can carry fines of up to HK$5,000 for fare offences and up to HK$3,000 for climbing over barriers or turnstiles