Buses in Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Bus
services in Hong Kong
have a long history. As of 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR
, and residents' services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories
).
These are the five franchised bus companies in Hong Kong:
Mainly provides service in Kowloon and New Territories, operating total 402 routes. Some of them are cross-harbour routes.
Mainly provides service on Hong Kong Island, operating 154 routes. 72 routes are on Hong Kong Island, 32 of them are North-Lantau and Airport routes, and the final 50 of the routes are cross-harbour routes. Other than those, Citybus operates shuttle routes B3, B3A and B3X between Tuen Mun and Shenzhen Bay Port.
Mainly services Tung Chung, Disneyland Resort and routes shuttling between the Airport and New Territories.
Mainly provides service on Hong Kong Island, and provides routes in Kowloon and Tseung Kwan O
. It operates some cross-harbour routes.
Mainly provides service on Lantau Island, operating a total of 20 routes.
Founded in 1933, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is one of the largest privately owned public bus
operators in the world. KMB's fleet
consists of 4,058 buses on 402 routes and a staff of over 12,000. In 1979, Citybus
began its operation in Hong Kong with one double-decker, providing shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and Kowloon Tong MTR station
. New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus
's franchise to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island
together with Citybus. NWFB's parent company later bought Citybus, but the two companies have basically been operating independently.
Hong Kong franchised bus routes have a fixed path, fare, service hours and schedule. Urban routes mostly operate with double-decker buses, which have become a distinguishing feature of Hong Kong. Passengers are required to pay their bus fare when they board the bus, and all buses accept payment by either Octopus card
or cash however no change is given for paying by the latter. Some routes such as cross-harbour routes and Disneyland Resort routes are operated jointly by two companies. Fares are dependent more on where a passenger boards rather than alights and cross-harbour services cost close to HKD10 when the bus has yet to cross the harbour.
, there were 7206 registered non-franchised buses in Hong Kong up to 31 December 2003. Generally speaking, the services are divided into the following categories:
On the other hand, the MTR also operates some feeder bus routes in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long and Tai Po.
are passenger transport vehicles (minibus
es) with a capacity of 16 passengers. The capacity was 14 before 1980s. They provide feeder services to buses and the railway. According to the law, there can only be 4350 minibuses. They can be divided into two types: red public minibuses and green public minibuses. Other kinds of light bus services, for example, the Nanny van
transports provided by such van owners during 1980s are considered illegal beyond their operation routes.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
have a long history. As of 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
, and residents' services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
).
Current situation
The bus service of Hong Kong can be roughly divided into 3 types: Franchised bus, Non-franchised bus and Public light bus.Franchised bus
As of 2007, there are 5 privately owned bus companies that provide franchised bus service across Hong Kong, operating more than 700 routes. Hong Kong is one of the few cities in the world that has no publicly-operated bus service.These are the five franchised bus companies in Hong Kong:
- Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) LimitedKowloon Motor BusThe Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
Mainly provides service in Kowloon and New Territories, operating total 402 routes. Some of them are cross-harbour routes.
- Citybus LimitedCitybus (Hong Kong)Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
Mainly provides service on Hong Kong Island, operating 154 routes. 72 routes are on Hong Kong Island, 32 of them are North-Lantau and Airport routes, and the final 50 of the routes are cross-harbour routes. Other than those, Citybus operates shuttle routes B3, B3A and B3X between Tuen Mun and Shenzhen Bay Port.
- Long Win Bus Company LimitedLong Win BusLong Win Bus Company Limited provides bus service to northern Lantau Island and the Hong Kong International Airport...
Mainly services Tung Chung, Disneyland Resort and routes shuttling between the Airport and New Territories.
- New World First Bus Services LimitedNew World First BusNew World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong.NWFB was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus...
Mainly provides service on Hong Kong Island, and provides routes in Kowloon and Tseung Kwan O
Tseung Kwan O
Tseung Kwan O is a bay in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong. In the northern tip of the bay lies the Tseung Kwan O Village....
. It operates some cross-harbour routes.
- New Lantao Bus Company (1973) LimitedNew Lantao BusThe New Lantao Bus Company Limited – known as New Lantao Bus, or NLB – is a franchised bus company operating in Hong Kong.-History:...
Mainly provides service on Lantau Island, operating a total of 20 routes.
Founded in 1933, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is one of the largest privately owned public bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operators in the world. KMB's fleet
Kowloon Motor Bus Fleet
A historic list of buses operated by Kowloon Motor Bus since 1933:-Daimler :NOTE: All Daimler buses have been retired.*1949-1983 Daimler A , D1-D150 . Gardner 5LW engine, Wilson gearbox*1959-1984 Daimler B , D151-D260...
consists of 4,058 buses on 402 routes and a staff of over 12,000. In 1979, Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
began its operation in Hong Kong with one double-decker, providing shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and Kowloon Tong MTR station
Kowloon Tong (MTR)
Kowloon Tong is a station on MTR's Kwun Tong Line and East Rail Line in New Kowloon, Hong Kong.Kowloon Tong Station serves Kowloon Tong and its vicinity, including Yau Yat Tsuen, the Festival Walk shopping centre, City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.This station...
. New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus
China Motor Bus
China Motor Bus Company Ltd. , often abbreviated as CMB, was the first motor bus company in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the introduction of double-decker buses to Hong Kong Island....
's franchise to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
together with Citybus. NWFB's parent company later bought Citybus, but the two companies have basically been operating independently.
Hong Kong franchised bus routes have a fixed path, fare, service hours and schedule. Urban routes mostly operate with double-decker buses, which have become a distinguishing feature of Hong Kong. Passengers are required to pay their bus fare when they board the bus, and all buses accept payment by either Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
or cash however no change is given for paying by the latter. Some routes such as cross-harbour routes and Disneyland Resort routes are operated jointly by two companies. Fares are dependent more on where a passenger boards rather than alights and cross-harbour services cost close to HKD10 when the bus has yet to cross the harbour.
Non-franchised buses
The non-franchised bus services of Hong Kong are provided by different private bus companies as a means to relieve the demand on franchised buses and green public minibuses in rush hour. They also serve some remote places which are non-profitable for franchised buses and green public minibus operators. According to the Transport DepartmentTransport Department (Hong Kong)
Transport Department is responsible for transportation related policy in Hong Kong. The department reports to the Transport and Housing Bureau.The current Commissioner for Transport is Joseph Lai.-See also:* Transport in Hong Kong...
, there were 7206 registered non-franchised buses in Hong Kong up to 31 December 2003. Generally speaking, the services are divided into the following categories:
- Tourist services (A01): Literally called "Travel bus" (旅遊巴), providing transport services for tourists between tourist attractionTourist attractionA tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s. - Hotel services (A02): operated by hotels or by bus companies, providing transport services for hotel customers.
- School services (A03): operated by schools or by bus companies, providing transport services for students.
- Employee services (A04): operated by different institutes or by bus companies, providing transport services for employees.
- Residential services (A06): Literally called "Estate bus" (邨巴), providing feeder services between new towns and urban areas; they sometimes also operate between the management company of private housing estates and bus companies, as a mean to carry residents from where they live to major transport interchanges.
- Contract hire services (A08): Hired by a person or groups for transport services.
On the other hand, the MTR also operates some feeder bus routes in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long and Tai Po.
Public light buses
The public light buses in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
are passenger transport vehicles (minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
es) with a capacity of 16 passengers. The capacity was 14 before 1980s. They provide feeder services to buses and the railway. According to the law, there can only be 4350 minibuses. They can be divided into two types: red public minibuses and green public minibuses. Other kinds of light bus services, for example, the Nanny van
Nanny van
The Nanny van is a special kind of school bus service in Hong Kong. Its formal name is School Private Light Bus. At its peak of popularity during the 1980s, it had become a form of "illegal" public transportation...
transports provided by such van owners during 1980s are considered illegal beyond their operation routes.
See also
- History of bus transport in Hong KongHistory of bus transport in Hong KongThe history of bus transport in Hong Kong began with the introduction of the first bus routes in Hong Kong in the 1920s.-1920s: The beginning:...
- List of bus routes in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong bus route numberingHong Kong bus route numberingIn Hong Kong, public bus, public light bus and residential bus routes bear their own route numbers.-Public buses:The numbering systems of public buses can be classified into Hong Kong Island routes, Kowloon and New Territories routes, Lantau Island routes, MTR Feeder Bus routes, Cross harbour bus...
- Bus loops and terminals in Hong Kong
- Public light busPublic light busA Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi....