ABC Bus, the operator of four resident bus routes in Tuen Mun, announced temporary changes to its NR711 service on Wednesday morning, citing reasons including "colleagues still in hospital" and "staff unable to return from travel." The operator had earlier said rising fuel costs would force it to cut services or possibly suspend all routes, but later said on Monday that the planned cuts had not been approved by the Transport Department and all services would run normally.
The operator said the 7.40am and 7.50am departures on NR711 would be combined into a single 7.45am run, while the 8.10am departure would be suspended. These changes apply only for one day. Some services on NR711 and NR720 will operate with 28-seat medium buses.
The Transport Department said it has not received any application from the operator to adjust service frequencies or fares, and has proactively contacted the operator. The department noted that the operator is discussing service adjustments with resident representatives and will submit an application once agreement is reached.
Regarding the temporary changes, the department reminded the operator to arrange backup drivers promptly if any are absent, particularly during the morning peak hours for commuters and students, to minimize impact on passengers.
Online reactions were mixed, with some commenters saying: "I'd rather you raise fares than stop running" and "Adjustments are fine, but don't keep changing things every day and drive passengers crazy." Others expressed frustration, commenting: "If you don't want to run the service, just shut it down."
