Fare Hike Needed To Meet New Expenses, Says KMB

Kowloon Motor Bus bosses have rejected calls by some lawmakers and transport officials to slash a planned fare hike, saying new government guidelines on working hours and safety will increase the expenses of the company in the coming months.

"Over the past four years, in terms of the salaries, we have seen [a rise of] something like 18 percent. Going forward, the manpower will be very tight and the pay will be going up further and we have to invest a lot more in equipment and facilities," the company's managing director Roger Lee told Legco's transport panel.

"The government has introduced guidelines regarding the working hours of bus captains. We are under pressure to recruit an additional 100 or so bus captains to maintain the level of service required," he said.

Lee also said a new director has been hired to improve safety following a deadly crash in Tai Po last year.

KMB applied to increase fares by 8.5 percent last September, after more than four years of no rises.

Transport officials believe the fare hike could be further reduced by about 2 percent as franchised buses will be exempt from paying tolls for government-controlled tunnels and highways from later this month.

During a meeting, some lawmakers also criticised the proposed fare hike.