Transport minister Lam Sai-hung on Saturday said more than 100 imported minibus and coach drivers have arrived in Hong Kong and around half of them have obtained a license.

Since last year, the SAR has been bringing in non-local drivers to ease a manpower crunch in the transport sector. But some minibus operators have expressed concern over the low pass rate for the driving test, so far.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, Lam urged people not to read too much into it, adding that the threshold for local and outside drivers is the same.

"This is just the initial figure. The current base number is low, so there is no need to over-interpret it. The most important thing is to train well before the test. Secondly, we will not cut back on our examination standards. The standards will remain the same, regardless of whether they are local or outside drivers," he said.

The minister added he's confident that officials can come up with better border crossing arrangements before the Lunar New Year holiday.