A Hong Kong coach operator’s failed attempt to reduce its services was only the “tip of the iceberg” of cuts in bus rides amid rising fuel costs, lawmakers have warned, as they urged the government to quickly address soaring oil prices.
Legislators on Tuesday also called on authorities to approve applications by non-franchised bus companies to increase fares, and to provide subsidies to cushion the effects of higher fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East.
Their appeals came after the Transport Department rejected an application by ABC Touring Car Company, which operates routes between Tuen Mun and the city’s urban areas, to reduce its services on Sundays, on the grounds that the firm was required to provide 14 days’ notice.
The company had no choice but to absorb the losses and continue providing services.
“All departures will stick to the usual schedule but as oil prices continue to rise, we continue to operate at a loss,” the company said in a Facebook post.
The company had originally planned to cut services on four residential bus routes it operates in Tuen Mun.
