Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis announced

The green transformation roadmap and timetable for public buses and taxis were announced on Tuesday, allocating funds to facilitate the replacement of 600 franchised buses and 3,000 taxis with electric vehicles (EVs).

The 3,000 taxi quotas will be prioritized for those with the oldest vehicles, and eligible taxi owners will be contacted via mail before 2025.

Owners accepting the replacement must respond within two months to receive a subsidy of HK$45,000, order their new vehicles within six months and register them within a year.

As for the 600 bus quotas, the government plans to subsidize HK$400,000 for single-deck buses and HK$800,000 for double-deckers, or 25 percent of the new vehicle's price, whichever is lower.

Franchised bus operators are required to order new vehicles before 2027, and have them delivered and registered before 2029.

In terms of charging facilities, the government aims to add 500 high-speed EV charging points for taxis within three years.

The total subsidy for the initiative is expected to be around HK$470 million, already reserved under the New Energy Transport Fund.

Secretary for the Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan stated the government will leverage market forces to enhance private involvement in building public charging facilities.

He noted the growing popularity of EVs and expects the price gap between electric and traditional vehicles to drop in the future, potentially minimizing the need for future subsidies.