Uncertain future for Hong Kong’s red and green minibuses, born of 1967 riots
With no new licences issued since the 1970s and MTR expansion steadily eroding profits and earnings, minibus operators struggle to recruit drivers. They hope to be allowed to add more seats
Hong Kong is known for its efficient and affordable public transport network. The MTR commuter rail network, double-decker bus services and ubiquitous taxis are cited as examples. Less often mentioned, perhaps, are public light buses, which account for 1.5 million rides a day and 14.8 per cent of total public transport volume.
The green- and red-top minibuses, with their sometimes foul-mouthed drivers, ply winding streets and hilly terrain, reaching places that bigger buses can’t, and for a fraction of a taxi fare.
Green minibuses operate as franchises controlled by about 30 companies, with the largest including a 600-strong fleet owned by Ma Ah-muk,and Wong Man-kit’s publicly listed AMS Public Transport. They are tightly controlled, with fixed routes, fares, bus stops and schedules, and drivers are company employees with fixed salaries.
The notorious red tops, on the other hand, are no so well regulated. Drivers are owners or self-employed, renting them for a current rate of HK$800 a day. Within limits, they set their own routes, allow passengers to hop on and off anywhere, and can get away with jacking fares up during typhoons.
Operating around the clock, drivers of the “desperado minivans” as they are nicknamed, are financially incentivised to run as many trips as possible. They speed down empty highways at night, and can get from Mong Kok in urban Kowloon to Tuen Mun in the distant southwestern New Territories in just 25 minutes.