Hong Kong’s Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) has said it is keeping an “open mind” towards allowing passengers to travel with pets on regular buses following “positive feedback” on its pet-friendly routes rolled out last year.
KMB told HKFP on Wednesday that it would consider different factors and balance the views of various stakeholders, including passengers, to decide whether to relax the ban on pets on franchised buses.
The company said it received “quite a lot of positive feedback” after it rolled out designated weekend routes for pet owners to travel with their furry friends last October.
It pledged to continue to provide the service.
“KMB seeks to improve a pet-friendly environment,” the bus company said in an email reply to HKFP’s enquiries. “Regarding allowing pets to ride on franchised buses, the company keeps an open mind.”
Under Hong Kong’s Public Bus Services Regulations, commuters are not allowed to bring animals onto a bus, except for guide dogs.
The South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday that a source at KMB said the company was “eager to introduce a pet-friendly policy on its regular bus routes.”
It was reported earlier this week that the city’s railway operator, the MTR Corporation (MTRC), was considering allowing passengers to travel with their pets.
Legislator Rock Chen said last year that statutory and policy restrictions had made it difficult for residents to go out with their pets, despite the government’s call to boost local spending.
He questioned if the authorities had plans to study the relaxation of regulations with service operators.
Secretary for Environmental and Ecology Tse Chin-wan responded by saying that operators of ferries, public light buses, non-franchised buses, and taxis may exercise discretion when deciding whether to allow pets on board.
Relaxing the MTR’s rules would require the government to consider balancing different factors, including “the space and carrying capacity of the compartments, reaction of the pets in the travelling environment and the potential impact on other passengers,” Tse said.
The minister added the government would “continue to keep in view relevant suggestions for considering whether a change to the existing arrangement is necessary.”
