COACH operators want to charge the Government for putting their fleets on standby during the recent China Motor Bus (CMB) strike crisis, even though their servives were eventually not needed.
Transport officials had asked the Non-franchised Bus Operators' Association to prepare for a CMB drivers' strike after the company sent out 173 redundancy notices three weeks ago.
Association chairman Wong Leung-pak said members agreed to mobilise up to 300 air-conditioned coaches on 23 routes.
Mr Wong said the association had helped out during the 1989 CMB strike and, as it went well, members were willing to offer assistance again.
Operators were authorised to collect up to $5 per trip from passengers. However, no payments were offered for work done during the lead-up to the threatened strike.
Staff were deployed at co-ordination centres early yesterday while CMB management and the drivers' union were holding negotiations over severance compensation, Mr Wong said.