Public light buses are divided into two classes, visually distinguishable by the colour of the vehicles. Their operations are regulated by a passenger service licence.
Green minibuses are licensed by Government to operate scheduled services on fixed routes to supplement other types of public transport.
By contrast, red minibuses operate without fixed schedules, routes or timetables, but they are not permitted on routes served by green minibuses. Red minibuses are free to set fares. Red minibuses tend to operate in the main transport corridors with a view to providing a more flexible service than franchised buses.
There were 3,413 green minibuses and 927 red minibuses in Hong Kong as at September 2024.