KMB temporarily grounds 209 part-time drivers, to give passengers ‘peace of mind’ after deadly Hong Kong bus crash

Move will have minimal impact on schedules, operator says, after criticism from unions which said it did not monitor the performance of part-timers or give proper training

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Kowloon Bus Company will temporarily ground 300 part-time drivers from its pool of 8,300 drivers. It says this will not have a major impact on bus schedules. Photo: Robert Ng

Published: 5:15pm, 15 Feb 2018Updated: 5:51pm, 15 Feb 2018

KMB will temporarily stop assigning shifts to about 209 part-time drivers and hold off on hiring new ones to assuage concerns over safety after last weekend’s bus crash in Tai Po that left 19 dead and more than 60 injured.

The driver of that bus was a part-timer, who declared his occupation was a cook when he appeared in Fanling Court on Tuesday, after being charged with causing death by dangerous driving. He has been remanded pending further investigation.

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Managers of the city’s largest bus operator told a Legislative Council transport panel on Thursday morning that it would not give shifts to drivers who could not commit to working at least 18 hours a week for the time being, and this group numbered about 209.

Meanwhile, it had secured the resources to hire more instructors to train full-time drivers, managing director Roger Lee Chak-cheong said.

Lee also told lawmakers that 236 drivers in 2016 had a careless driving record, but he did not reveal how many were part-timers or whether the drivers faced suspension.

KMB has about 560 part-timers among its pool of 8,300 drivers.