Franchised buses seek fare rises of 8.1 to 17.7 pct

Four franchised bus operators are applying for fare increases ranging from 8.1 to 17.7 percent. Kowloon Motor Bus is seeking 16 percent, Citybus 17.7 percent, Long Win 8.1 percent, and New Lantao Bus 9.8 percent. The Transport and Logistics Bureau submitted a paper to the Legislative Council showing that passenger trips on franchised buses remained below pre-pandemic levels – rising from 3.67 million daily journeys in 2023-24 to around 3.7 million in 2024-25. It says the operating environment for the bus operators is expected to remain challenging due to competition from other forms of public transport, rising operating costs and persistently high fuel prices. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said lawmakers would review the fare increase applications at a panel meeting on Friday. She said the government attaches great importance to service reliability and financial sustainability on the part of the operators as well as ensuring public affordability. "We will look into a basket of factors, particularly the operating situation of the franchised buses, their cost and revenue forecast, long-term financial development, as well as the impact on services to the public," Chan said. "We will look into these very prudently and thoroughly to properly perform our role as the gatekeeper." The government last approved fare...