Dashcam footage widely shared on social media showed the incident in Prince Edward, with the driver of the luxury petrol car pulling to a stop in a restricted zone.

Loading is not allowed between 7am and midnight

According to street signs, stopping or waiting in that zone is prohibited between 7am and midnight, every day including holidays. The footage, and Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s schedule, places the incident at around 5.30pm on 20 June.

The Secretary’s chauffeur had a narrow miss as he opened his door into the path of an oncoming KMB bus. The chauffeur continues standing in the busy traffic lane to help an assistant into the rear of the car, with another KMB bus forced to stop to avoid striking him.

With the passengers loaded, the driver then sped off, overtaking the stalled bus on the inside and cutting across three lanes to turn right. Many commenting on the video claimed the driver had put bus passengers at risk and had very nearly caused a crash.

Chan had been visiting hawker stalls in the area to promote the government’s voucher scheme, which opens for registration on 4 July.

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The incident comes just a week after a chauffeur working for the Chief Secretary was reprimanded for illegally parking the Chief Secretary’s petrol Lexus on Queen’s Road Central.

The government at the time said the driver had been “reminded to… strictly abide by the traffic regulations.”

A spokesman also said the government would “take the lead” in using electric vehicles once the leases for existing petrol cars had expired.