Transport Department approves conversion of two red minibus routes into green minibus route operations
The Transport Department (TD) announced today (January 6) its approval for the operators of two red minibus (RMB) routes to convert their RMB routes into green minibus (GMB) route operations under the RMB to GMB conversion scheme (the Scheme).
The TD received a total of two applications during the application period of the Scheme, and completed a review last month to determine if the applicants met the licensing and operating conditions for operating GMBs. These include requirements such as whether the operators have recruited drivers for the routes concerned, and have ensured that their daily operations and fares are subject to the TD's approval and monitoring. Following the endorsement from the GMB Operators Selection Board, the TD has issued approval letters to the applicants to run the following routes in the GMB route operating mode (route service details are available on the website):
(i) Sau Mau Ping (Hiu Kwong Street) - Jordan (Pak Hoi Street)
(ii) Yuen Long (Park YOHO) - Yuen Long Station (Long Ming Street) (Circular)
The operators concerned have started the gearing-up work for conversion to GMB route operations, including drawing up the schedules of service, procuring stop signs at termini and en-route stops, updating the livery of vehicle bodies, recruiting drivers under employment contracts, and applying for the new GMB routes to participate in the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (the $2 Scheme) and the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme, etc. The two routes are expected to commence service in March.
A spokesman for the TD said, "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 (PLB) for more effective monitoring. The TD will consider the way forward of the Scheme, taking into account the implementation of these routes in the first batch of the Scheme as well as the views and feedback from the trades."
The TD has previously issued letters inviting the operators of 11 RMB routes meeting the specified conditions to apply for direct conversion of their RMB routes into GMB route operations. The TD has also conducted extensive consultation with the PLB trades and has held briefing sessions for relevant operators.
