Hong Kong  - Commuters and tourists in Hong Kong were Wednesday facing fare rises of up to almost 40 US cents a journey as soaring fuel costs pushed up the cost of travelling for 3.35 million daily bus passengers.

The Hong Kong government, which controls fares in the densely-populated city, has approved price increases affecting 85 per cent of daily users from June.

The fare rises will affect tourists and night bus users as bus companies have decided to focus the biggest rises on those routes, including bus routes running to the popular Big Buddha cable car on Lantau island.

Some legislators criticized the price rises, approved by the government on Tuesday, saying they would put further pressure on families struggling to cope with sharp food price inflation in the city of 6.9 million.

But the Hong Kong government described the fare increases as moderate and said bus companies had to maintain profit margins in the face of record high fuel prices.

The range of price rises approved by the government in a city which is heavily reliant on public transport is between 40 Hong Kong cents and three Hong Kong dollars (5 and 38 US cents).

Despite its relative wealth, Hong Kong has one of the developed world's lowest car ownership rates, with less than four in 10 adults running a car, largely because of its small size and the exorbitant price of city centre parking bays.

The most common forms of transport are buses, taxis and the underground rail network the Mass Transit Railway which sells almost as many rides a day as the entire Hong Kong population. (dpa)