Minibuses on notorious routes finally get governors, but they still manage to speed

Operators of minibuses on three routes notorious for speeding drivers have fitted their 110 buses with speed-limiters, weeks after the government said they would become mandatory in all minibuses.

But in the three months to September, there were still 18 complaints from the public about speeding drivers.

That was because the buses' speed limit was capped at 87km/h, while the speed limit on most streets was 80km/h, when the speed display device beeps a warning.

Speeding by minibus drivers on the three routes - 44, 44A and 44B, which run between Sheung Shui, Tuen Mun and Lok Ma Chau - has generated many complaints. In July, a minibus on route 44A ran into the back of a truck, triggering a blaze that killed the driver and three passengers.

Passengers said buses on the route always travelled at more than 100km/h. Minibus drivers on the route also have been found operating outside approved working hours.

The Transport Department announced in August that all 4,350 minibuses in the city must be fitted with speed limiters by the first quarter of 2011. In less than two months, all the minibuses on the 44, 44A and 44B routes were fitted with governors, while other major minibus operators were still seeking sources for the devices.

But the move has done nothing to decrease passengers' anxiety - nor their complaints.