{
  "id": 17507695,
  "title": "Pump pressure: how rising fuel costs leave Hong Kong drivers running on fumes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/pump-pressure-how-rising-fuel-costs-leave-hong-kong-drivers-running-17507695",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-01T01:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post-hong-kong",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3372851/pump-pressure-how-rising-fuel-costs-leave-hong-kong-drivers-running-fumes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As fuel costs continue to rise, Hong Kong drivers are struggling to make ends meet. Van driver Wong Siu-po, 48, reported that the additional HK$5,000 (US$640) a month for fuel, equivalent to a third of his monthly income, was leaving him overwhelmed. With a young daughter and an unemployed wife to support, Wong feels the financial pressure mounting.\n\nNearly 98% of commercial drivers surveyed felt the government's support was inadequate or very inadequate in the face of rising fuel prices. Drivers blamed the mounting costs on the Middle East war and a global energy crisis. Following a two-month subsidy, 98.7% of the 770 respondents reported higher monthly fuel costs, with over a quarter paying at least HK$5,000 extra per month.\n\nSome drivers resorted to working longer hours, dipping into savings, or cutting maintenance to cope with the financial strain. Cow Lam, a 38-year-old van driver, noted that the fuel price increase had pushed his living expenses up by about 40%. He said he had to cut down on food expenses to make up for the loss.\n\nSurvey respondents called for immediate relief, urging transitional support for recent fuel-car buyers with ongoing vehicle loans. They also advocated for clear electric vehicle replacement arrangements, increased purchase subsidies, low-interest loans, leasing or installment payments. The group's chairwoman, Michelle Tsang, emphasized that securing cash flow was crucial for drivers to successfully transition to more affordable transportation options.\n\nWhile some drivers expressed interest in switching to electric vehicles, over half did not plan to switch within the next three years due to concerns about charging infrastructure and lack of information about the net cost of switching to electric vehicles.\n\nThe ripple effect of the fuel crisis extended beyond transport operators, affecting households like Wong Po-yan, a 34-year-old clerk and taxi driver Yuen Tak, 68. Both households reported cutting down on food spending and reducing outings to save on transport costs. Experts warned that the government needed to address the livelihood pressures caused by rising fuel costs to avoid stalling Hong Kong's economic activities.",
  "summary": "Van driver Wong Siu-po, 48, felt life was becoming more difficult than ever as mounting fuel prices cost him an additional HK$5,000 (US$640) a month, about a third of his monthly income. With an 11-year-old daughter and an unemployed wife to support, he feels the pressure mounting. “I need to work three hours longer per day to make up for the loss of income,” he said. “I will cut down on air…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}