Hong Kong Subway Traffic Dips Most Since SARS Amid Unrest

(Bloomberg) -- Traffic on Hong Kong’s metro system slid by the most since the 2003 SARS epidemic as MTR Corp.’s lines were targeted by anti-government protesters. Passenger numbers on the subway fell 7.5% to 131 million in August, the mass-transit operator said, while the Airport Express and cross-boundary service both saw double-digit declines as tourist arrivals tumbled. In a recent interview with Bloomberg Television, MTR Chairman Rex Auyeung said more people may be choosing to stay home on weekends, when the most intense unrest has occurred.

To contact the reporter on this story: Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, Will Davies, Matt Turner

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.