Minibus firms should do more to attract Hongkongers to take up jobs as drivers, rather than bringing in workers from the mainland, a union said on Tuesday.

The government says it will consider importing workers for the transport sector to help tackle a manpower shortage.

But Chan Fung-yuen, chairman of the Motor Transport Workers General Union (Public Light Bus Branch), told an RTHK programme that people from outside wouldn't be needed if wages and conditions were better.

“When the wages are high and the welfare is good, young people will naturally come. At present, after new [minibus] drivers get the hang of it, they would move on to driving buses or taxis,” he said.

Chan said minibus drivers earn about HK$50 to HK$60 per hour on average and many do not get proper rests or meal breaks.

He said they should be given at least HK$80 per hour and 45 minutes during a nine-hour shift to eat and take a break.

Chan also warned that mainlanders might not find the job that attractive, noting that several dozen drivers brought in from Guangdong in the 1990s quit after realising the wages barely covered their accommodation and agency fees.

“On the mainland, the steering wheel is on the left, but in Hong Kong it’s on the right. Not everyone can manoeuvre a minibus. In Hong Kong, the roads are busy and crowded, they are narrow and there are a lot of traffic lights. Mainland drivers may not be able to adapt to Hong Kong’s environment,” he added.

However, Chow Kwok-keung who heads the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association said he supports the idea of bringing in outside workers.

He told Commercial Radio that paying local minibus drivers more could lead to fare increases and a drop in passenger numbers.

Chow suggested that mainland drivers could be given shifts in districts near the border so they could go back to Guangdong each night, sparing them from having to pay for accommodation in Hong Kong.