The Transport Department has approved 98 applications involving a total of 969 drivers in the first round of applications under the Labour Importation Scheme for 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 118 applications during the application period, involving 1,601 labour importation quotas covering public light bus drivers and coach drivers.

The 969 approved quotas accounted for 57% of the quota ceiling of 1,700, among which 15 were not fully accepted as they had failed to meet the manning ratio requirement of full-time local staff and imported labour.

Among the applications not approved, four were withdrawn by the applicants. The remaining 16 applications failed to meet the requirements on local recruitment, the manning ratio requirement of full-time local staff and imported labour, or the applicants were not holders of valid passenger service licences. 

The department said it hoped the imported labour would receive training, obtain the required local driving licences and start working in Hong Kong soon, thus alleviating the acute manpower shortage experienced by the sector and facilitating the provision of reliable public transport services.

It will arrange a briefing session for the successful applicants to enable them to arrange for the imported labour to receive driving training and acquire driving licences after arriving in Hong Kong.

Details of the second round of applications under the scheme will be announced in due course.