China Motor Bus
Encyclopedia
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 bus
es to Hong Kong Island.
It is now mainly involved in property development after its franchise
lapsed in 1998.
. Ngan and Wong began their transport career as rickshaw pullers on Nathan Road in the 1920s and established the company in 1933, when they received the exclusive
bus franchise from the Government of Hong Kong
to operate routes on Hong Kong Island
.
After the Second World War
, the network of CMB's routes expanded with exploding population on the island. New buses were purchased to increase ridership. Since mid-1970s, CMB buses were traditionally painted with a buff
upper body and a blue lower body livery. CMB adopt the policy to improve its service during 1970s, including introducing the first type of rear-engine bus (Daimler Fleetline
) and reforming the route number system. In 1976 CMB has earned over $20 million HK dollars, the highest in the company history.
With the opening of the MTR
Island Line
in the 1985, and CMB's reputation of outdated ethos and poor services over the years, ridership on CMB declined. On 29/30 November 1989, CMB employees started a massive strike, after broken negotiations on their pensions funds. During the strike, all CMB services on the island were halted, to the extent that the government was forced to use police vehicles to facilitate commuting
to and from the Southern District
. After the incident, the relationship between CMB and the government worsened, leading to the government to adopt more directive policies in respect of CMB.
Meanwhile, competitors such as Citybus
had successfully lured passengers from CMB's franchised routes to their own residential routes. The establishment of route 37R as a residential route by Citybus illustrates this fact. The service provided more comfortable seats, air-conditioned fleet, and a more direct route (via Aberdeen Tunnel
) from Chi Fu Fa Yuen to Central
. Citybus was able to compete against CMB by charging only the fare of non-air-conditioned, uncomfortable and indirect CMB counterparts like routes 40 and 37 (which took Pok Fu Lam Road
instead). The residential route was later converted into a franchise route, 37M, that still continued to be operated by Citybus.
In 1993 and 1995, the government had 26 and 14 CMB routes respectively removed and put into public tender, with Citybus taking over those routes. Citybus expanded its market of Hong Kong Island from CMB during these years, especially in the commercial areas like Central, Wanchai and Causeway Bay
. More CMB passengers in these areas turned to Citybus, and CMB had more and more routes without profits. CMB started to give up its remaining bus service business from the mid-1990s, and the company eventually lost its franchise in 1998, which was taken over by New World First Bus
.
, by developing former bus depot properties which it owned. Meanwhile, the company is operating a free shuttle bus service between Island Place (one of the CMB's real estate developments) near the North Point MTR station
and North Point Government Offices. A Volvo B6LE, acquired from Citybus, along with eight Dennis Dart
"Coach Express" are currently utilised for this service.
Coach Express retained to operate the free shuttle service mentioned above, most of the fleet was transferred to New World First Bus in 1998 after the end of CMB's franchise. Two Volvo Olympian
air-conditioned buses were sold to Citybus at half price in 2002 (http://www.citybus.com.hk/eng/GenInfo/Fleet/fleet_detail.asp?fleet_id=21), and Citybus, in turn, gave up one of its single-deck buses (the Volvo B6LE now used in the shuttle) to CMB for free.
Some of the buses transferred to New World First Bus were even shipped to Australia
(http://www.freewebs.com/the_inspector/city_sightseeing_australia.html) or the United Kingdom
, and function as tour buses and school bus
es.
Historical fleet (post war):
Current fleet:
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...
company 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...
, and was responsible for the introduction of double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
es to Hong Kong Island.
It is now mainly involved in property development after its franchise
Government-granted monopoly
In economics, a government-granted monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege to a private individual or firm to be the sole provider of a good or service; potential competitors are excluded from the market by law, regulation, or other mechanisms of...
lapsed in 1998.
History
Ngan Shing Kwan together with Wong Yiu Nam started in business in 1924 to provide services on Kowloon PeninsulaKowloon Peninsula
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon....
. Ngan and Wong began their transport career as rickshaw pullers on Nathan Road in the 1920s and established the company in 1933, when they received the exclusive
Exclusive right
In Anglo-Saxon law, an exclusive right is a de facto, non-tangible prerogative existing in law to perform an action or acquire a benefit and to permit or deny others the right to perform the same action or to acquire the same benefit. A "prerogative" is in effect an exclusive right...
bus franchise from the Government of Hong Kong
Government of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
to operate routes 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...
.
After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the network of CMB's routes expanded with exploding population on the island. New buses were purchased to increase ridership. Since mid-1970s, CMB buses were traditionally painted with a buff
Buff (colour)
Buff is a pale yellow-brown colour that got its name from the colour of buff leather.Displayed on the right is the colour buff.EtymologyAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, buff as a descriptor of a colour was first used in the London Gazette of 1686, describing a uniform to be "A Red Coat...
upper body and a blue lower body livery. CMB adopt the policy to improve its service during 1970s, including introducing the first type of rear-engine bus (Daimler Fleetline
Daimler Fleetline
The Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1983...
) and reforming the route number system. In 1976 CMB has earned over $20 million HK dollars, the highest in the company history.
With the opening of the MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
Island Line
Island Line (MTR)
The Island Line is one of 10 lines of the MTR, the mass transit system in Hong Kong. It runs from Sheung Wan in the Central and Western District to Chai Wan in the Eastern District. The line first opened in 31 May 1985...
in the 1985, and CMB's reputation of outdated ethos and poor services over the years, ridership on CMB declined. On 29/30 November 1989, CMB employees started a massive strike, after broken negotiations on their pensions funds. During the strike, all CMB services on the island were halted, to the extent that the government was forced to use police vehicles to facilitate commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to and from the Southern District
Southern District, Hong Kong
The Southern District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island. It had a population of 290,240 in 2001. This district has the fourth lowest population of Hong Kong.-Geography:...
. After the incident, the relationship between CMB and the government worsened, leading to the government to adopt more directive policies in respect of CMB.
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...
had successfully lured passengers from CMB's franchised routes to their own residential routes. The establishment of route 37R as a residential route by Citybus illustrates this fact. The service provided more comfortable seats, air-conditioned fleet, and a more direct route (via Aberdeen Tunnel
Aberdeen Tunnel
Aberdeen Tunnel is a two-tube tunnel linking Happy Valley and Wong Chuk Hang near Aberdeen on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It shortens the travel time between the north and the south of the Hong Kong Island. It connects the Wong Chuk Hang Road in the south, and Canal Road Flyover in the...
) from Chi Fu Fa Yuen to Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
. Citybus was able to compete against CMB by charging only the fare of non-air-conditioned, uncomfortable and indirect CMB counterparts like routes 40 and 37 (which took Pok Fu Lam Road
Pok Fu Lam Road
Pokfulam Road, or Pok Fu Lam Road, is a four-lane road in Hong Kong. Built on Hong Kong Island, the road runs between Sai Ying Pun and Wah Fu, through Pok Fu Lam....
instead). The residential route was later converted into a franchise route, 37M, that still continued to be operated by Citybus.
In 1993 and 1995, the government had 26 and 14 CMB routes respectively removed and put into public tender, with Citybus taking over those routes. Citybus expanded its market of Hong Kong Island from CMB during these years, especially in the commercial areas like Central, Wanchai and Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
. More CMB passengers in these areas turned to Citybus, and CMB had more and more routes without profits. CMB started to give up its remaining bus service business from the mid-1990s, and the company eventually lost its franchise in 1998, which was taken over by New World First Bus
New World First Bus
New 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...
.
Current status
Since losing its franchise, its main business focus shifted to real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, by developing former bus depot properties which it owned. Meanwhile, the company is operating a free shuttle bus service between Island Place (one of the CMB's real estate developments) near the North Point MTR station
North Point (MTR)
North Point is a station on the Hong Kong MTR Island Line and the western terminus of the Tseung Kwan O Line. The livery of the station is tomato orange.-History:This station was opened in 1985 upon the completion of the Island Line...
and North Point Government Offices. A Volvo B6LE, acquired from Citybus, along with eight Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
"Coach Express" are currently utilised for this service.
Fleet
Besides the eight Dennis DartDennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
Coach Express retained to operate the free shuttle service mentioned above, most of the fleet was transferred to New World First Bus in 1998 after the end of CMB's franchise. Two Volvo Olympian
Volvo Olympian
The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo at Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian....
air-conditioned buses were sold to Citybus at half price in 2002 (http://www.citybus.com.hk/eng/GenInfo/Fleet/fleet_detail.asp?fleet_id=21), and Citybus, in turn, gave up one of its single-deck buses (the Volvo B6LE now used in the shuttle) to CMB for free.
Some of the buses transferred to New World First Bus were even shipped to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(http://www.freewebs.com/the_inspector/city_sightseeing_australia.html) or the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and function as tour buses and school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
es.
Historical fleet (post war):
- Bedford OBBedford OBThe Bedford OB model was a bus or coach chassis introduced in 1939.The OB has a wheelbase of , and is a semi-forward control model, designed to carry 26 to 29-passenger bodywork....
- FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
"School Bus" - Tilling-Stevens K5LA4/K5LA7
- Guy Arab IV - some were converted to service vehicles
- Guy Arab UF (those with the engine replaced were numbered 601-616)
- Dennis LolineDennis LolineThe Dennis Loline is a double-decker bus built by Dennis between 1958 and 1967. It is essentially the same as the Bristol Lodekka but has an upgraded Dennis chassis.Aldershot and District Traction was the largest operator of the Dennis Loline....
(numbered LW1) - Guy Arab V - some were converted to service vehicles/training buses
- Leyland Titan PD3 - second hand
- Leyland AtlanteanLeyland AtlanteanThe Leyland Atlantean is a model of double-decker bus built by Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1986....
PDR1 - second hand - Daimler/Leyland FleetlineDaimler FleetlineThe Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1983...
- some were second hand - Ashok LeylandAshok LeylandAshok Leyland is a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Chennai, India. Founded in 1948, the company is one of India's leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, as well as emergency and military vehicles. Operating six plants, Ashok Leyland also makes...
Titan - MCW-Scania MetropolitanScania MetropolitanThe Scania Metropolitan was the first double decker bus model built jointly by MCW and Scania division of Saab-Scania. It was built between 1973 and 1978.It was also the second bus model jointly built by these two companies...
- Volvo Ailsa B55Volvo Ailsa B55The Volvo Ailsa B55 was a front-engined double-decker bus chassis built in Scotland by Ailsa, Volvo's British commercial vehicle agency. It was in production from 1973 to 1985, and was a relatively successful alternative to the ubiquitous rear-engined Bristol VR, Leyland Atlantean and...
- MCW MetrobusMCW MetrobusThe MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
(numbered MC1-12, MB1-40, ML1-84) - Dennis DominatorDennis DominatorThe Dennis Dominator was Dennis's first rear-engined double-decker bus chassis, it was launched in 1977. Dennis had been absent from the bus manufacturing market since the last Lolines were produced in 1967. The Dominator was described as bespoke, with numerous options...
(numbered DD1, SD1-6) - Leyland Victory Mk2Leyland Victory Mk2Leyland Victory Mk2 is a front-engine double-decker bus chassis that was built by Leyland between 1978 and 1981. Like its competitor Dennis Jubilant, Volvo Ailsa B55, it was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong.The chassis was developed from the Guy Victory J,...
(numbered LV1-167) - Dennis JubilantDennis JubilantThe Dennis Jubilant was a front engine double decker bus chassis built by Dennis between 1977 and 1981. It was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong....
(numbered DS1-30) - Leyland OlympianLeyland OlympianThe Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
(numbered BR1-2, LA1-25, LM1-10) - MCW MetroriderMCW MetroriderThe MCW Metrorider, launched by MCW at the 1986 Motor Show, was a midibus designed built by Metro Cammell Weymann between 1986 and 1989. Constructed in two lengths, 7.0 m and 8.4 m, the Metrorider was an integral bus, marking it out from its van-based rivals of the time.It was the second...
- Dennis CondorDennis DragonThe Dennis Dragon is a 3-axle double decker bus built by Dennis of the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s....
(numbered DL1-48, DM1-28, DA1-92) - Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
(numbered DC1-20, with Cummins 6BT engine, Allison AT545 gearbox) - Volvo OlympianVolvo OlympianThe Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo at Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian....
(numbered VA1-64)
Current fleet:
- Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
single-deck coaches (CX class) - Volvo B6LE
Depots
- Chai WanChai WanChai Wan , formerly mistakenly known as Sai Wan , lies at the east end of the urban area of Hong Kong Island next to Shau Kei Wan. The area is administratively part of the Eastern District, and is a mosaic of industrial and residential areas...
Depot - 391 Chai Wan Road/Sheung On Street (a 5-storey concrete parking facility, former head office of CMB and major depot since 1990s)
- Wong Chuk HangWong Chuk HangWong Chuk Hang is an industrial and residential town to the east of Aberdeen and to the north of Nam Long Shan and to the west of Shouson Hill, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong...
Depot - Ocean Park Road (owned by the Government of Hong KongGovernment of Hong KongThe Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
) now used by NWFBNew 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...
- (Former) North PointNorth PointNorth Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. It is the northernmost point of Hong Kong Island, adjacent to both Causeway Bay and Quarry Bay, and projecting toward Kowloon Bay. Fortress Hill occupies the western end of the North Point area.-History:In 1899, The...
Depot - site redeveloped by CMB as the residential complex Island Place (completed 1997)
- Kennedy TownKennedy TownKennedy Town is at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th Governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877...
Depot - a minor depot now used by NWFB
External links
- CMB official homepage on Internet Archive
- Non-franchise album of China Motor Bus (Chinese only)
- Timeline of China Motor Bus (Chinese only)
- http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DChina%2BMotor%2BBus%26prssweb%3DSearch%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fl%3D0%26fr%3DFP-tab-web-t&h=419&w=600&imgcurl=www.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb-ml68-112.jpg&imgurl=www.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb-ml68-112.jpg&size=46.5kB&name=cmb-ml68-112.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb.html&p=China+Motor+Bus&type=jpeg&no=11&tt=253&ei=UTF-8CMB Fleet]
- http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DChina%2BMotor%2BBus%26prssweb%3DSearch%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fl%3D0%26qp_p%3Dchina%2Bmotor%2Bbus%26imgsz%3Dall%26fr%3DFP-tab-web-t%26b%3D121&h=707&w=855&imgcurl=paperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb-cm2.gif&imgurl=paperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb-cm2.gif&size=26.2kB&name=cmb-cm2.gif&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpaperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb.htm&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpaperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb.htm&p=China+Motor+Bus&type=gif&no=123&tt=253&ei=UTF-8CMB Paperbus]
