Hong Kong franchised bus operator Citybus has appointed a former head of the city’s Civil Service Bureau as its new chairman, who will oversee a fleet of 1,700 buses providing essential public transport for local residents.

Citybus announced the appointment of Joshua Law Chi-kong Law on Thursday, who it said had provided “strategic counsel” to the company since joining parent firm Bravo Transport Services as a special adviser in 2021.

“I am greatly honoured to be appointed as chairman of Citybus,” Law said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with board members to lead Citybus onto a new journey, continuing to deliver safe, reliable and efficient public transport services to our passengers.”

He also thanked outgoing chairman Cliff Zhang-kun, who he said had “laid a solid foundation for Citybus in advancing zero-emission initiatives and post-pandemic recovery.

A career civil servant, Law rose through the ranks to become secretary for the civil service in 2017, a post he held until a cabinet reshuffle in 2020 under then chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.