Bus firms under criticism for steep fare hike bids
Bus companies came under fire in Legco on Friday for their fare hike applications, with many legislators saying their proposed increases are too steep. Kowloon Motor Bus, Long Win Bus and New Lantao Bus want increments of between 8.5 percent and 9.8 percent, while New World First Bus and Citybus are asking for an across-the-board HK$2 rise. At a Legco transport panel meeting, the Business and Professionals Alliance's Lo Wai-kwok said this is the worst time to bump up the fares, as the community is just beginning to recover from the economic downturn brought by Covid. "Yes, the slump in patronage during Covid has led to difficulties in operation. But shouldn't you wait for a few months or half a year after we go back to normality and see how much your business has recovered before deciding on fare adjustment?" Lo questioned.  Adam Leishman, the CEO of Citybus and New World First Bus, said in response that a hike is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business.  "I understand the sentiment, but there is real justification for why we needed to put [the application] in at the moment to get the business back to a financially healthy situation," Leishman said. "We're not just doing this on the back of Covid at all… This is a systemic problem with cost inflations and the loss of passengers over an extended period of time." Transport sector legislator Frankie Yick agreed that a fare hike is needed for the bus operators to survive. Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics Ida Lee, for her part, said the government will consider people's reaction to the applications as well as the financial sustainability of bus companies, before making a recommendation to the Chief Executive in Council.