Lawmakers call for fuel subsidies, citing loss-making bus service amid oil price spike

Hong Kong lawmakers have warned that a local bus operator’s failed bid to reduce services is only the “tip of the iceberg”, as rising fuel costs drive wider reductions across the sector, urging the government to act swiftly to tackle soaring oil prices.Legislators on Tuesday also urged authorities to approve applications by non-franchised bus companies to increase fares, and to provide subsidies to cushion the effects of higher fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East.Their calls came after the Transport Department on Monday rejected an application by ABC Touring Car Company, which operates routes between Tuen Mun and the city’s urban areas, to immediately reduce services on the grounds that the firm was required to provide 14 days’ notice.The company, which had announced the planned cuts on Sunday, said it had no choice but to absorb the losses and continue providing services.“All departures will stick to the usual schedule but as oil prices continue to rise, we continue to operate at a loss,” it said in a Facebook post.The operator had originally planned to cut services on four residential bus routes in Tuen Mun.