Public light bus

Public light bus
A Green Minibus ('GMB')
Chinese	公共小型巴士
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Gōnggòng xiǎoxíng bāshì Yue: Cantonese Jyutping gong1 gong6 siu2 jing4 baa1 si2
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	小巴
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Xiǎo bā Yue: Cantonese Jyutping siu2 baa1

The public light bus or minibus is a public transport service in Hong Kong. It uses minibuses to serve areas that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. The vehicles are colloquially known by the code-switch van仔.

Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 seated passengers; no standing passengers are allowed. Minibuses typically offer a faster and more efficient transportation solution due to their small size, limited carrying capacity, frequency and diverse range of routes, although they are generally slightly more expensive than standard buses. The popularity of minibus services in Hong Kong can be attributed to its high population density.

Minibuses in Hong Kong are licensed either as Green Minibuses (GMBs) or Public Light Buses (PLBs), the former restricted to fixed-fare, fixed-route operation, the latter not so restricted. PLBs substitute red for green on the external roof of the car, although originally the distinction was made by the colour of the stripe around the midsection of the vehicle. Otherwise, the two versions of minibus are identical in appearance, both sporting a predominantly cream-coloured body.

Most minibuses are Toyota Coasters, but a new and environmentally friendly Iveco Daily Green minibus has also been introduced as part of one of the many recent schemes in Hong Kong to increase the quality of the buses. Most of the buses run on Autogas (liquefied petroleum gas or LPG). This type of fuel is not only cheaper, but also reduces emissions. The transport commission is making further efforts to reduce emissions by providing incentives for bus drivers to make the switch to even more efficient electric vehicles.

As of 2014, there were 4,350 public minibuses in Hong Kong, of which 3,150 were GMBs and 1,200 were PLBs. The operations of these two types of services are regulated through conditions imposed by the Commissioner for Transport under the passenger service licences (PSLs).

In response to public concerns about minibus speeding, from 2012, all public minibuses were required to install speed alarms activated at 80 km/h. On all public minibuses, a large digital speedometer must also be installed on the interior ceiling, adjacent to the driver's seat, facing passengers, enabling them to monitor the current speed.