The Transport Department has approved 125 applications involving a total of 849 drivers in the second round of applications under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector - Public Light Bus/Coach Trade.

The department issued letters to all applicants today to notify them of the results.

It received a total of 129 applications during the application period, involving 1,473 labour importation quotas. Subsequently, four applications were withdrawn.

After assessment, all 125 applications were found eligible.

Since the number of eligible quotas being applied for in the second round exceeded the total number of quotas available for allocation, the 849 quotas were allocated on a pro-rata basis to the eligible applicants.

A total of seven applications failed to meet the manning ratio requirement of full-time local staff and imported labour, and the number of eligible quotas being applied for under the applications concerned were adjusted downwards correspondingly.

The number of quotas approved for public light bus drivers was 467, while that for local coach drivers was 228. The remaining 154 quotas were allocated for cross-boundary coach drivers.

The department said that over 80% of the imported labour in the first round of applications have arrived in Hong Kong and started to perform driving duties after obtaining relevant driving licences and completing route training.

It added that it hopes that the imported labour approved in the second round will receive training, obtain driving local licences and start working in Hong Kong soon to further alleviate the acute manpower shortage and maintain the reliability of public transport services.

The scheme has a quota ceiling of 1,700. A total of 969 quotas were approved in the first round of applications last year, of which 118 quotas not used by the applicants after six months have been carried forward to the second round for allocation.