KMB Female Frontline Staff Provides Quality Service

KMB upholds the principle of equal opportunities in the area of staff recruitment, and pioneered the practice as early as 1989 when it employed the first batch of female bus captains. As times change and the concept of sexual equality becomes stronger, more and more women are joining KMB’s team of frontline staff, serving in different positions including terminus supervisors and inspectors and striving to provide passengers with quality service.

At present, KMB has around 8,000 bus captains in total, with about 450 female bus captains, which represents around 5.7% of the total number. Besides female bus captains, women have been employed in other frontline positions in recent years, such as inspectors and terminus supervisors, amounting to about 3% and 6% of the total respectively. At present, any male or female Hong Kong citizen who fulfills the academic and other requirements is qualified to apply for the positions of KMB bus captain, inspector or terminus supervisor. Female frontline staff receive the same training as male frontline staff. In the case of bus captains, before employment, all applicants receive the same comprehensive training at KMB’s Bus Captain Training School to ensure they are equipped with good driving skills and a positive service attitude to provide passengers with quality bus services. As for inspectors and terminus supervisors, they are required to attend a training course focusing on company regulations, bus operations, customer service, and communications and supervisory skills.

Ms. Lo Yip Lai Wah, a female bus captain who has been working with KMB for more than ten years, said, “I enjoy my job as a bus captain. Although bus driving is traditionally a male-dominated occupation, I believe that females can also perform well after proper training. Whether one is successful or not mainly depends on how much effort you put in and on your determination.”

Ms. Fok Tsui Yuk, a female terminus supervisor currently stationed at Park Avenue Bus Terminus, said, “Besides taking care of their family, I do encourage women to go out into society and get more exposure. This will be good both for herself and her family, since she can meet more people and get more in tune with broader developments.”

KMB Female Frontline Staff Provides Quality Service