Transport Department - Bus Captains and Passengers

Bus Captains

There are about 14 000 bus captains. Providing safe and reliable journeys for passengers by bus captains is a key contributing factor to franchised bus safety.

While bus captains are required to undergo rigorous and continuous training, franchised bus operators will provide specified training courses to bus captains as required by Transport Department and adopt different training programmes for their bus captains to suit their operational needs. Newly recruited bus captains have to complete and pass various stringent pre-service training and assessments, while in-service bus captains have to attend refresher and remedial trainings to enhance their safety awareness and keep abreast of the latest bus safety measures and traffic regulations.

Bus captains must be in good driving manner and prioritize passenger safety when carrying passengers to their destinations. Their duties include conducting pre-service vehicle inspection, ensuring the safety of passengers when boarding, alighting and riding on buses, managing passenger order, handling emergencies and maintaining safe driving through the use of safety devices on buses.


Bus captain adjusts the mirrors before driving	Bus captain checks headlights before driving	Bus captains attend talks on fatigue management and tips for good sleep


Rest areas are provided at bus termini for bus captains to have meals and rest to prevent fatigue from driving

Bus Passengers

Franchised bus traffic accidents which involve passenger injuries may be caused by various factors. For instance, sudden braking or collision may result in passenger injuries, especially for those standing, moving or not holding onto the handrails on the bus. In the past five years, an average of about 2,000 casualties per year are recorded. With the resumption of social and economic activities after the COVID-19 epidemic, the franchised bus patronage has gradually increased and the number of casualties has also increased. While serious injuries and deaths have decreased, slight injuries have increased.

The main cause of passenger injuries in non-collision accidents is loss of balance in the bus compartment. To reduce the risk of such injuries, bus passengers, especially the elderly, should remain in their seats when the bus is in motion, fasten the seat belts if they are installed on seats, and hold onto the handrail when standing or moving on bus.

Passengers should not run onto the road if they need to cross it after alighting, and they should not chase a bus once it has left the stop.