Public light buses were started as a result of 1967 Hong Kong riots, during which, bus and tram services were unavailable to the public as workers went on strike. People who owned mini-vans began providing transportation to the public for a small charge. The government turned a blind-eye to this issue despite it being against traffic laws to transport passengers without a passenger service license. After the riot, the government thanked these drivers and awarded them the newly-created public light bus license for free as a result of service they provided to the government and the public during the crisis.

Public light buses are often referred to as minibuses, or sometimes maxi cabs and colloquially called vans in both Chinese and English. They run the length and breadth of Hong Kong, through areas which the standard bus lines do not cover frequently, quickly or directly.

Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 seated passengers; no standing passengers are allowed. They typically offer a faster and more efficient transportation solution due to their small size, limited carrying capacity, frequency and diverse range of routes, although they are generally slightly more expensive than the standard buses. The popularity of public light bus services in Hong Kong is due to the high population densities which are needed to support the extensive network of routes.

There are two types of public light minibus, Green and Red. Both of these types have a cream coloured body, with their service type denoted by the colour of the external roof, although some older minibuses have a thin band of red or green paint around the body instead of colouring the roof.

A passenger wishing to get on a minibus simply hails the minibus from the street kerb like a taxi. They can generally be hailed down at any point along their route, depending upon transport regulations in that area. Customarily a passenger calls out to the driver that they wish to alight but some Green minibuses are now equipped with a bell similar to those that are found on the regular buses.

Passengers who ride on minibuses equipped with such bells are encouraged to ring the bell if they wish to get off at the next stop. However, simply calling out to the driver is still the main means of letting the driver know that a passenger wishes to get off.

By 2005, there were 4,350 public light buses in Hong Kong, of which 1,660 are red minibuses and 2,690 are green minibuses. The operations of these two types of services are regulated through conditions imposed by the Commissioner for Transport under the passenger service licences (PSLs).