“I really like Hong Kong, which has a unique and innovative culture and efficient policies. I will strive to serve the people of Hong Kong and strictly follow the city’s way of doing things.”

Li is among hundreds who have applied to work as minibus drivers in Hong Kong through mainland employment agencies. The applications are part of a government drive to bring in 20,000 workers to ease personnel shortages in the construction, aviation and transport industries.

Firms can recruit up to 900 minibus and 800 coach drivers under the policy, with most likely to come from the mainland. The first group is expected to arrive by the end of the year.

People hired under the scheme must be paid a monthly rate no lower than the median wage, HK$14,300 for minibus drivers working eight hours a day. But operators said that, including overtime allowances, minibus drivers could easily earn as much as HK$20,000 per month.

But the policy has drawn criticism from the public. Some said it was ironic the industry was willing to pay for accommodation and training for imported workers but reluctant to offer more money to local ones.

Although mainlanders have reportedly faced occasional discrimination in Hong Kong, Li said he was not worried about moving as he had never felt any prejudice during his many visits to the city.

“Hongkongers are very nice, friendly and straightforward. I’ve never experienced any hostility from them,” he said. “I will take good care of our passengers with safety as the top priority.”

For Li, who secured an initial work offer after attending several job fairs and being interviewed by transport operators, his only concern was whether he could stay in the city when his two-year contract expired.

“I am only worried that if I fail to get my contract renewed, I will be forced to return to the mainland, where I can’t find a high-paying job like this one,” he said.

Another candidate, Liu Weibin, a 46-year-old coach driver earning 6,000 yuan a month in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, was also attracted by the better salary, as well as Hong Kong’s more liberal lifestyle.

“The salary is really attractive. The array of local delicacies, shopping experiences, nightlife activities and convenient transport make the city irresistible,” he said.

“I don’t have any worries about working in Hong Kong. As an experienced driver, I always put safety first. And I’ve learned to keep an upbeat mood when dealing with passengers to avoid having arguments with them.

“I may be a bit worried about the high living costs in Hong Kong, but I will try to cut spending on unnecessary things.”

Andy Chan Chi-fai, who runs a fleet of more than 60 minibuses with 120 drivers aged 57 to 82, has applied to hire about 20 workers from the mainland. Over the past few weeks, he attended several job fairs over the border and interviewed about 50 drivers.

Chan said hiring drivers from outside Hong Kong would push up operating costs, as he had to provide accommodation, and pay for their driving test and training.

“Hiring each new worker will cost an extra HK$30,000 to HK$40,000. The newcomers will not be able to work in the first month after arriving and before passing the driving test and company training,” he said.

“For every imported driver, we expect to pay more than HK$2,000 in rent per month.”

But he said his staffing options were limited because of the ageing Hong Kong workforce and lack of new entrants to the job.

“We’ve been unable to hire sufficient manpower in the past 10 years, even though we’ve offered a much higher salary, at more than HK$25,000 per month. Young people are not interested in joining this trade,” he said.

Most of the candidates were attracted by the higher salary and the lifestyle, he added.

“The candidates are mostly middle-aged, ranging from over 30 to 50,” he said. “My basic requirements include fluency in Cantonese, having a strong awareness of transport safety with a good driving attitude and a good manner in serving passengers.”

Eric Tse Cheuk-yu, owner of Hop Fat Light Bus, which has a fleet of 90 minibuses and 140 drivers mostly aged over 60, applied to import 20 mainland workers. He interviewed about 70 people and shortlisted around 20.

“Most of them aspire to earn a better income in Hong Kong as making a living becomes more difficult on the mainland and they don’t mind working far from home. It shows the mainland economy is getting worse,” he said.

Tse, who also required the drivers to be able to speak fluent Cantonese, added: “They are all eager to work in the city. Everyone told me they were not afraid of working hard in Hong Kong.”