Hong Kong’s transport sector filed 118 applications to bring in non-local minibus and coach drivers as the first round of applications for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s Labour Importation Scheme for the transport sector concluded on Monday.

Meanwhile, transportation operators called for more subsidies from the government to alleviate some of the costs involved in hiring imported drivers.

The Labour Importation Scheme, which also applies to the construction and aviation sectors, constitutes the city’s grand plan to introduce 20,000 non-local workers to alleviate manpower shortages in those industries.

Under the Labour Importation Scheme, transportation operators can bring up to 1,700 workers into Hong Kong to drive public minibuses and coaches. Employers are required to pay imported drivers not less than the average wage level paid to their Hong Kong counterparts, and to provide them with dormitory accommodation if they choose to live in the city

Under the plan, transportation operators can bring up to 1,700 workers into Hong Kong to drive public minibuses and coaches. Employers are required to pay imported drivers not less than the average wage level paid to their Hong Kong counterparts, and to provide them with dormitory accommodation if they choose to live in the city. The first round of applications began on July 17 and closed on Monday.

A total of 118 applications had been received as of 5pm on Monday, according to the Transport Department.

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A minibus operator surnamed Chan told local media that he intends to recruit drivers from the Chinese mainland to serve on minibus routes to and from Whampoa, Kowloon. He met over 100 mainland drivers in Zhuhai, most of whom can speak Cantonese and have obtained a bus driving license issued by the mainland authorities, Chan said.

Chan also said that non-local drivers are mainly concerned about the working and living environment in Hong Kong, and that he has been searching for places in Hong Kong that would be suitable to use as dormitories.

Chan said the monthly salary for an imported driver will be around HK$14,300 ($1,831), according to the government’s guidelines. If the drivers work four hours of overtime a day, they will be able to earn about HK$21,000 a month, he added.

Approved non-local drivers need to attend training in Hong Kong and to obtain a Hong Kong bus driving license. They also need to familiarize themselves with the routes they will be required to work on in the city. The whole process of preparing non-local drivers to work in Hong Kong will take about four months.

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However, Chan said employers must pay imported drivers from the first day of their arrival in Hong Kong, including fees for their training and license examination. Along with the cost of their accommodation, he expects to have to spend HK$40,000 to HK$50,000 per driver before they will be eligible to start work. This is no small cost, Chan added.

To alleviate the financial pressure that transportation operators are under, some industry insiders have suggested that the government should provide them with additional subsidies. Otherwise, the extra costs may lead to bus fare increases in the future, they said.

Mike Wong contributed to the story.