Citybus has said it is providing training for their drivers to help them better understand the needs of older passengers.

More than 850 bus captains have attended Citybus' one-day training programme since it was rolled out last year.

As part of the training, drivers put on special outfits and goggles to restrict their sight and movement, and carry canes to simulate what senior passengers experience when they take the bus.

Some elderly residents were also invited to the training sessions to tell drivers what they can do to make their journeys safer and more comfortable.

“Currently, Citybus is the only bus operator in Hong Kong to provide such training to our bus captains. We will continue to provide this kind of training. We forecast that by 2026, all of our 4,000 [drivers] will have attended such training to provide them knowledge on how to take care of our elderly passengers in Hong Kong,” Citybus General Manager Roger Wong said.

Wong also revealed that there are about 100 bus captain spots vacant at Citybus, despite recording a net increase of more than 400 drivers last year.

He said the bus company would focus more on recruitment and come up with different campaigns to attract prospective drivers.

In August of last year, Citybus rolled out a new recruitment campaign to look for drivers who want to work three days a week.

The bus operator said it received more than 1,000 applications from the recruitment drive, and hired and trained 160 people.