Shorter hours on the road for 13,000 Hong Kong bus drivers after Tai Po crash but union worries about lower pay
In cutting duty hours, transport officials said they will still allow for ‘special’ longer shifts so operators can meet peak passenger demand
The Transport Department’s announcement of reduced working hours and extended breaks for 13,000 public bus drivers on Friday – after a KMB double decker crash this month left 19 people dead – received a mixed reaction from unions, with the largest one fearing workers’ would be hit by a sharp drop in pay.
Maximum daily duty hours were cut from 14 to 12, and driving hours reduced from 11 to 10, the department said at a meeting with staff unions.
But a “special shift” allowing drivers to work up to 14 hours a day would remain in place, with a mandatory three-hour break in between.
Nineteen dead, more than 60 injured in ‘chaotic’ Hong Kong double-decker bus crash
Assistant Commissioner for Transport Rachel Kwan Chui-lan said a cap would not be placed on the number of drivers assigned to “special shifts”.
“The special shift is needed to handle the passenger surge during the morning and evening peak periods. We feel we should accommodate the operational needs of bus companies,” Kwan explained, adding the department will closely monitor the ratio of special shifts compared to normal ones
Among other revisions to the Guidelines on Bus Captain Working Hours, Rest Times and Meal Breaks was the extension of a break given to drivers after six hours on the road, from 30 minutes to 40 minutes.
A new rule was also proposed to ensure drivers received 22 hours or more of rest after working three successive shifts