A working group has been set up under the Transport Advisory Committee to conduct a review on the selection criteria and marking scheme for green minibus operator selection exercises.

After its first meeting today, working group chairman Leung On-fook said the group is planning to make recommendations to the Government on possible arrangements to facilitate red minibus operators to convert to green minibus operation.

Green minibuses run scheduled services on fixed routes and their service levels and fares are regulated by the Transport Department while the services and fares of red minibuses are not regulated.

It has, therefore, been Government policy to encourage red minibus operators to convert to green operations.

In pursuance of this policy, the department has planned and developed new green minibus services and put forward new route packages for tender from time to time. 

All public light bus operators are invited to submit applications for green minibus selection exercises.

Applications received are assessed in accordance with a set of selection criteria including the management capability of the applicant, the quality of the proposed fleet, financial resources and customer services to be provided and whether the applicant is a new entrant to the green minibus trade, and each application is assessed in accordance with a pre-determined marking scheme.

Mr Leung said that the working group will review the selection criteria and marking scheme.

"In response to the concern expressed by small red minibus operators, we will also consider measures to facilitate participation of small public light bus operators in the selection exercises and to enhance better understanding by the public light bus trade of the selection criteria and marking scheme," he added.