Key Points
- Bus drivers from Asia are answering Australia's bus driver shortage.
- Driver Calvin Wong says passengers are friendlier here.
- He says there's more fare evasion in Australia compared with Hong Kong.
Calvin Wong has been working as a Melbourne bus driver for six months, having driven buses in Hong Kong for two years.
He told SBS Cantonese there are "big differences" between driving buses in both cities — no bigger than the courtesy shown by passengers.
In Australia, riders would often greet him while hopping aboard, and say 'thank you' when departing.
"I thought maybe I had done something wrong or maybe there was something wrong with the passenger," he said.
"There is less of this (familiar) culture in Hong Kong because everyone is in a hurry."
He recalled a passenger who praised him for "doing a good job", which encouraged the new driver in Melbourne.
"Also, sometimes, if you perform well in certain areas, someone might come up to you and say 'You're a good driver', and genuinely praise you. That never happens in Hong Kong," he said.
Calvin Wong has worked as a bus driver in Hong Kong and Australia. Credit: Calvin Wong
"I rarely see passengers tap their cards and even if they do and they have a negative balance, they still get on the bus," he said.
By contrast, in Hong Kong, passengers 'touched on' 99 per cent of the time as inspectors were vigilant about checking tickets and would issue fines for evaders, he explained.
Wong's supervisor, Jacky Tsang, is the operations control centre manager at Ventura Bus Company Oakleigh and Moorabbin.
He said the company has between 1,700 and 1,800 bus drivers, of whom 200 — or 13 per cent — were from countries in Asia.
"Experienced drivers like Calvin, who bring international experience, are essential to (answering) Australia's bus driver shortage," Tsang said.
"Calvin's background in Hong Kong's high-density transit system means he is skilled in managing complex, crowded urban routes and adhering to strict schedules.
"Drivers with experience from international systems often require less training to adapt to Australian routes and compliance standards, which accelerates their onboarding process."
Tsang said Australia's bus driver shortage was due to an ageing workforce with many drivers nearing retirement age coupled with the job being less appealing to younger drivers.
"Strict compliance requirements, irregular and sometimes lengthy hours ... deter younger workers," he said.
Calvin Wong has been living in Australia for a year. Credit: Calvin Wong
Navigation differences
Wong said he was thankful for the bus' computerised navigation system as in Hong Kong, he would have to memorise routes after first looking them up on Google Maps.
The technology allows him to drive seven to eight routes a day compared to one or two in Hong Kong.
Tsang said that when hiring bus drivers, they primarily needed to have good driving and safety records, customer service skills, and excellent time management and communication skills.
Jacky Tsang is operations control centre manager at Ventura Bus Company Oakleigh and Moorabbin. Credit: Jacky Tsang
"In addition, both Hong Kong and Australia are right-hand drive, and the rules of the road are generally the same however travel times are longer," he said.
A Hong Konger himself, Tsang said he had fond memories of riding the buses there as a child especially on the top level of the double-decker buses.
