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Green-top minibus drivers paid a wage were  involved in almost twice as many serious and fatal accidents as their counterparts who worked solely on revenue-sharing, the Transport Department has found.  
The  findings run counter to  speculation that most minibus accidents involve drivers working on a shared revenue basis, which the industry said would give them incentive to speed in order to gain more trips and income. 
 A Legislative Council paper released yesterday said that green-top minibuses with drivers who were paid staff experienced an accident rate of 20 per 1,000 vehicles during the first half of this year. 
However, buses with drivers whose earnings were solely based on revenue-sharing  experienced an accident rate of only 11.5 per 1,000 vehicles over the same period. 
Buses with drivers whose income came from  both a basic wage and shared revenue were involved in 17.2 such accidents per 1,000 vehicles.
The study was confined only to the city's 2,913 green-top minibuses, as red-top minibuses run non- franchised routes and  the drivers' remuneration does not fall under  the department's scrutiny. 
Some  84 per cent of the 353 green-top minibus routes hire drivers as staff. 
Only 6 per cent of the routes still run a shared-revenue pay system, while 9 per cent adopt both. 
Green- and red-top minibus groups said they were  surprised by the findings. 
Leung Hung,  a veteran activist representing the interests of red-top minibus drivers, said there were many factors to consider when an  accident occurred, adding: 'Maybe the paid drivers tend to be  young recruits with less experience.'
So Sai-hung  of the Green Minibus Maxicab Association said paid drivers' income could be up to 50 per cent less than those under revenue- sharing, and this may affect their morale and attitude to driving. 
Altogether, the number of prosecutions against public light  bus drivers dropped  to 7,395 during the nine months to September, from 8,139 for the same period last year. 
A random breath test initiative to tackle drink-driving introduced since February may be part of the reason, while a police campaign launched a year ago urging minibus passengers to report speeding drivers through a hotline advertised  next to the speed display unit has reportedly  helped to cut the accident rate.  
Legislation will  be introduced next year to require all minibuses to be fitted with black boxes, which will record a vehicle's speed.
Not so fast
Speed limiters will be mandatory for  all minibuses by early 2010
The number of minibuses in Hong Kong that will be covered by the requirement: 4,350



Surprise over crash rates for minibus drivers