The Transport Department on Monday said it had approved the conversion of two red minibus routes into the more regulated green minibus routes, under its conversion scheme. The routes are from Hiu Kwong Street in Sau Mau Ping to Pak Hoi Street in Jordan; and a circular route running between Park Yoho in Yuen Long and Yuen Long Station. Services are expected to begin in March. A spokesman for the Transport Department said the two operators have started the preparation work, including drawing up the service schedules, buying stop signs, repainting the minibus bodies, as well as recruiting drivers. He added it has been the government’s established policy to encourage the conversion of red minibus routes for more effective monitoring and better service quality. “The Transport Department will consider the way forward of the Scheme, taking into account the implementation of these routes in the first batch of the Scheme as well as the views and feedback from the trades,” he said in a statement. The department had previously invited the operators of 11 selected red minibus routes to convert into green minibus routes, but only received two applications.
