The Transport Department (TD) today (August 2) issued invitations to the operators of 11 selected red minibus (RMB) routes meeting specific conditions, to apply for conversion to green minibus (GMB) route operations (the Scheme) by October 31.
Applicants are required to submit the completed application form and required documents to the TD. The TD will examine each application received to ensure that the route operator concerned complies with the Conditions for the Operation of Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Service, including hiring drivers to operate the routes concerned, and that its daily operations and fares are subject to the TD for approval and monitoring. The processing of the applications is expected to be completed by end-2024.
It has been the Government's established policy to encourage the conversion of RMBs to GMBs to ensure the service quality of public light buses through more effective monitoring. The TD now invites operators of the RMB routes which have participated in the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities, and have met the specific conditions to apply for direct conversion of the RMB routes to GMB route operations. The specific conditions of the Scheme include: the RMB routes selected should have at least five years of service, the vehicles of the route operate only on that single route and provide daily and whole-day service, and the route concerned is operated by a single operator.
The TD has consulted the public light bus trades extensively for their views on the Scheme in late May this year, and the trades generally supported the Scheme with positive feedback.
The TD will hold a briefing on August 12 for the operators of the 11 selected RMB routes on the Scheme’s details, which have been uploaded to the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/minibuses/rtg/index.html) for reference.
Follow this news feed: East Asia