The Government will provide a fuel subsidy for public light buses and taxis under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund (AEF) starting from May 1 for five months until September 30, the Transport Department said today.

The Government will offer a subsidy of $2 per litre of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for public light buses and taxis.

Given that the majority of taxi and red minibus drivers are rental car drivers who need to refuel at the LPG stations at their own expense, oil companies will provide drivers with instant discounts of $2 per litre at LPG stations, with no registration or application needed.

The Government will reimburse oil companies for the actual amount of LPG subsidies provided to taxi and public light bus drivers.

As for petrol taxis and diesel public light buses, the Government will reimburse 40% of their actual fuel costs.

Due to the relatively smaller number of drivers and operators involved, and considering that gasoline and diesel may stand a higher chance to be transferred than LPG, drivers or operators should apply for the 40% actual fuel costs reimbursement from the Government by using refilling receipts or monthly statements of fleet cards.

Upon completion of the vetting process, reimbursement will be made by auto-pay, and applicants will be notified in writing.

It is expected that 163 green minibus operators, as well as some 49,000 taxi and red minibus drivers can benefit from the fuel subsidy.

The fuel subsidy reimbursement arrangement is the same as that under the first round of the AEF.

Meanwhile, as of mid-April, the department had disbursed over $300 million of other subsidies to the transport trades under the sixth round of the AEF.