For Immediate Release
To celebrate the 155th anniversary of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber will hold its “HKGCC Free Ride Day” on 29 November, under the theme “Building a Prosperous Hong Kong with All Members of Society.” The event will allow everyone in Hong Kong to ride the trams and two Star Ferry routes free of charge for the entire day.
For this year’s Free Ride Day, the Chamber has chosen to use a puzzle theme in the designs on the trams and at the Star Ferry piers. Chamber Chairman Stephen Ng explained that each piece of the jigsaw puzzle symbolizes each of us in society. “We all have a role to play in building a better Hong Kong, and it requires everyone coming together in a positive way to achieve this,” he said. “The Chamber has been committed to working together with our members and the public to build Hong Kong into a prosperous metropolis for the past 155 years.”
Ten trams carrying advertisements spreading the message that HKGCC, as the voice of business, and its members have long contributed towards Hong Kong’s prosperity will run on the island until 6 December. In previous years, Free Ride Day was held on 29 May, the date of the Chamber’s establishment in 1861. However, as 29 May this year fell on a Sunday, Chamber CEO Shirley Yuen said a different day was chosen so that more people could take advantage of Free Ride Day.
She hopes the public will participate in Free Ride Day and also other planned activities, which will offer them the chance to win cash vouchers and other prizes. “This year we will give away HK$100,000 in cash coupons via Headline Daily’s “Jetso” app,” she explained. “People just need to answer a simple question on the Jetso app to have their name entered into the quiz and have the chance to win cash vouchers worth between $100 and $500.”
The Jetso app quiz will run in two phases, from 14-21 November and 22-29 November, and winners will be announced on 9 December.
At a press conference to announce Free Ride Day today, Ng and Yuen, together with representatives from members sponsoring the event, each held a colorful piece of a puzzle to represent how everyone can work hand in hand to contribute to the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
Ng also expressed his gratitude to the 59 members who sponsored the event, and also to media partners HKC Enterprises, Metro Broadcast Corporation Limited and the Sing Tao Group, including Sing Tao Daily, Headline Daily and The Standard, for their assistance in publicizing the event and encouraging the public to take advantage of Free Ride Day.
On 29 November, everyone in Hong Kong will be able to ride for free on any tram running between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, and also on the Star Ferry sailing between Tsimshatsui and Wanchai/Central. Over 300,000 citizens and tourists are expected to benefit from HKGCC’s Free Ride Day.
Photo captions:
Photo 1: Chamber Chairman Stephen Ng and CEO Shirley Yuen, together with representatives of member companies sponsoring this year’s Free Ride Day, pose for a group photo at a press conference on 17 November to announce the campaign, which will allow everyone in Hong Kong to ride on trams and two Star Ferry routes for free the entire day on 29 November.
Photo 2: Chamber Chairman Stephen Ng and CEO Shirley Yuen, together with representatives of member companies sponsoring this year’s Free Ride Day, pose for a group photo at a press conference on 17 November to announce the campaign, which will allow everyone in Hong Kong to ride on trams and two Star Ferry routes for free the entire day on 29 November.
Media inquiries: Please contact Ms Elaine Chan at 2823-1250 / [email protected]