The Hong Kong government has approved fare increases from three franchised bus operators on Tuesday, December 17. Starting January 5, 2025, bus fares on Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) routes will be allowed to rise by 4.3 percent, Citybus by 7.5 percent, and New Lantao Bus by 6.5 percent.
As Hong Kong’s public transport is fairly affordable in the first place, these price hikes should not affect the average commuter too deeply. According to government calculations, 90 percent of passengers are expected to pay no more than an extra $1 per bus trip.
Transport commissioner Angela Lee said the government aims to soften the impact of this price hike on daily commuters by keeping the increases lower on regular commuting routes while applying prices on the higher end of the scale on routes mainly used by tourists on holidays and leisure outings.
These fare increases are lower than what the three bus companies have initially asked for. Citybus applied for a 9.5 percent increase, KMB wanted a 6.5 percent increase, and New Lantao Bus submitted for a 6.5 percent increase. All operators cited rising salary expenditures and volatile fuel costs as the reasons for the consumer price increase.
According to Citybus, this is the fourth time in 15 years that a fare adjustment application has been approved, and KMB said it would do its best to give out fare discounts, including interchange discounts between different bus routes.
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