Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
. It provides both
franchisedFranchising is the practice of using another person's business model. The franchisor grants the independent operator the right to distribute its products, techniques, and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee...
and non-franchised
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
service. The franchised route network serves mainly
Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, cross-
harbourVictoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea was instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
routes (between Hong Kong Island and
KowloonKowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong, comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
/
New TerritoriesNew Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
),
Ocean ParkOcean Park Hong Kong , commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine-themed amusement park situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Founded in 1977 by the then Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has now grown to about 35 attractions and rides...
, North Lantau (
Tung ChungTung Chung, namely the eastern stream, is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
and
Hong Kong DisneylandHong Kong Disneyland is the first theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks, an incorporated company jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and the Government of Hong Kong....
) and
Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , because it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The...
. The non-franchised routes serve mainly City One Shatin. It also provides bus rental services and staff bus services for some large companies such as TVB and
China Light and PowerThe CLP Group is a company headquartered in Hong Kong. It started out in 1901 as China Light and Power Company, Limited , which operated a vertically integrated electricity generation, transmission and distribution business...
.
From 1984 to 2001 the company offered a cross-border service (Hong Kong <> China) using mainly
Leyland OlympianThe Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993.-Construction:The Olympian was built as a result of the Leyland Titan , an integral double deck bus which was ordered en masse by London Transport...
s, but this was discontinued due to stiff competition.
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
. It provides both
franchisedFranchising is the practice of using another person's business model. The franchisor grants the independent operator the right to distribute its products, techniques, and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee...
and non-franchised
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
service. The franchised route network serves mainly
Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, cross-
harbourVictoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea was instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
routes (between Hong Kong Island and
KowloonKowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong, comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
/
New TerritoriesNew Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
),
Ocean ParkOcean Park Hong Kong , commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine-themed amusement park situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Founded in 1977 by the then Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has now grown to about 35 attractions and rides...
, North Lantau (
Tung ChungTung Chung, namely the eastern stream, is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
and
Hong Kong DisneylandHong Kong Disneyland is the first theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks, an incorporated company jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and the Government of Hong Kong....
) and
Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , because it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The...
. The non-franchised routes serve mainly City One Shatin. It also provides bus rental services and staff bus services for some large companies such as TVB and
China Light and PowerThe CLP Group is a company headquartered in Hong Kong. It started out in 1901 as China Light and Power Company, Limited , which operated a vertically integrated electricity generation, transmission and distribution business...
.
From 1984 to 2001 the company offered a cross-border service (Hong Kong <> China) using mainly
Leyland OlympianThe Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993.-Construction:The Olympian was built as a result of the Leyland Titan , an integral double deck bus which was ordered en masse by London Transport...
s, but this was discontinued due to stiff competition. However, from 2007, Citybus operated a new route B3, which goes to Shenzhen's Bay Port.
The livery of Citybus's buses is yellow, red and blue.
History
In 1979, Citybus began its operation in Hong Kong with one double deck bus (
Volvo 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...
), providing shuttle service for the
Hong Kong United DockyardHong Kong United Dockyard or simply United Dockyard is a dockyard in Shek Wan, on the Tsing Yi Island of Hong Kong. It is owned by Hutchison Whampoa and Swire. It replaced the Whampoa Dockyard in Hung Hom and the Taikoo Dockyard in Quarry Bay....
in
Hung HomHung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. It is located nearby to Tsim Sha Tsui. The north part of the area is mainly for residential purposes and is mixed with some industrial...
. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and
Kowloon Tong MTR stationKowloon Tong is a station on MTR's and in New Kowloon, Hong Kong.Kowloon Tong Station serves Kowloon Tong and its vicinity, including Yau Yat Tsuen, the Festival Walk shopping centre, the City University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University.This station serves as one of the two...
.
In 1984, Citybus began a cross-boundary coach service between Hong Kong and
ShenzhenShenzhen is a city of sub-provincial administrative status in southern China's Guangdong province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong...
. The following year, the company introduced its first air-conditioned double-deck coaches. Since then, it has continued to expand its fleet of air-conditioned buses. This was the start of the remarkable history of air-conditioned double-deck buses in Hong Kong.
In 1991, the Hong Kong Government awarded Citybus its first
franchisedFranchising is the practice of using another person's business model. The franchisor grants the independent operator the right to distribute its products, techniques, and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee...
route 12A (Admiralty Tamar St <> Macdonnell Rd) on Hong Kong Island, which was originally operated by
China Motor BusChina 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....
and then withdrawn in the 1980s. It marked the arrival of Citybus as a franchised bus company serving Hong Kong Island routes. Also in 1991, several thousand miles away in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, Citybus launched a new company called
Capital CitybusCapital Citybus was a major bus operator for London Buses in North and East London. The company was eventually sold to First in 1998. Capital Citybus is not to be confused with the other former London bus and coach operator Capital Logistics, for whom in 1999 it provided amongst others relief buses...
with an all-yellow livery for the routes in North and East London and a red and yellow livery for central London. This was sold to FirstGroup in 1998 and now trades as
First CapitalFirst London is one of many operators of London Buses and owned by First Group. They did also run the Tramlink network, in a partnership with Tramtrack Croydon before June 2008. Their registered office is at Paddington station in London...
. In 1993, Citybus took over 28 franchised routes from China Motor Bus after winning a competitive tender. A further 14 franchised routes were awarded to the company in 1995 without tendering, with the fleet now expanded to more than 500 buses. During these years Citybus expanded its penetration of the Hong Kong Island market pushing nearly all CMB routes into low profitability. The areas of Hong Kong Island, especially Central, Wanchai and Causeway Bay, more and more CMB passengers chose Citybus rather than CMB.
In 1996, with the
Tsing Ma Bridge The Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's seventh-longest span suspension bridge. The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan . It has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge...
coming into operation and commencement of settlement in the
Tung ChungTung Chung, namely the eastern stream, is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
new town, Citybus won another tender to operate 13 new franchised routes serving
Tung ChungTung Chung, namely the eastern stream, is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
and the new
Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , because it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The...
. The airport bus service, started in 1998, is called
CityflyerCityflyer is a airport coach service provided by Citybus . The service was started during the opening of the Hong Kong Airport in 1998.-Fleet:...
which is part of Citybus and is solely used for Airport express routes to the city. The Cityflyer service consisted of a series of 4 routes: A11, A12, A21 and A22, with A10 being added to the mix in 2006. Citybus also operates various Overnight Airport routes and Airport Shuttle Routes.
In 1998, following the expiry of the franchise of the
China Motor BusChina 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....
, a further 12 routes were transferred to Citybus. Citybus's fleet was up to 1,100 buses. The remaining routes of China Motor Bus were transferred to a new operator
New World First BusNew World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "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...
.
Its business was expanded into
mainland ChinaMainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China , excluding Hong Kong and Macau, which are under the jurisdiction of the PRC but run on different economic and...
with a joint venture operation in
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
through Citybus (China) Limited. It was not only Beijing's first joint venture bus operation, but it also marked the introduction of air-conditioned buses for the first time in the capital city. Following the success of this route, a second urban express coach route was introduced in Beijing. However, the services in Beijing were terminated shortly after the disposal of shares of Citybus (China) Limited from Citybus to Kingsman Global Limited, another Hong Kong company, in June 2004. Citybus had also once operated a route (route 658) in
Tianjin' is the sixth largest city of the People's Republic of China in terms of urban population. Administratively it is one of the four municipalities that have provincial-level status, reporting directly to the central government...
. The service is now operated by another company after Citybus disposed all its interest in Citybus (China) Limited.
In 1999, Citybus was acquired by
Stagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
.
In 2001, Citybus discontinued the cross-boundary coach service between China and Hong Kong.
The company was acquired by
Chow Tai Fook EnterprisesChow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd. is a diversified, Hong Kong-based company engaged in the property development, hotel, casino, transportation, jewelry, port and telecommunications businesses....
, the parent company of the major rival operator
New World First BusNew World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "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...
, in June 2003. And after a series of restructuring, Citybus is now a subsidiary of NWS Transport Services Limited, which is also the parent company of New World First Bus and
New World First FerryNew World First Ferry Services Limited is a ferry service company in Hong Kong. The company was established in November 1999, when it took over the 8 licensed ferry routes transferred from the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry...
. NWS Transport has since re-dominated the franchised bus services in
Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
.
Current
- AEC Routemaster
- Alexander Dennis Enviro 500
The Alexander Dennis Enviro500 is a tri-axle double-decker bus built by Alexander Dennis in the United Kingdom, It was unveiled in 2002....
- Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. It was the first successful Dennis product since the Dominator, with more than 11,000 built....
- Dennis Dragon
The Dennis Dragon is a 3-axle double decker bus built by Dennis of the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s....
- Dennis Dragon trolleybus conversion (Kummler and Matter trolleys poles)
- Dennis Trident
Dennis Trident 3 is the first low floor double-decker bus chassis built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, with a large number purchased by bus companies in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States and Canada.-Design:...
- Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993.-Construction:The Olympian was built as a result of the Leyland Titan , an integral double deck bus which was ordered en masse by London Transport...
- MAN 24.350
- MAN NL262
MAN NL262 is a low-floor single-decker bus which was made by MAN AG in the 1990s. It was succeeded by the MAN NL263.- Citybus :Citybus is the launcher of this bus. 80 buses all in total ....
- Scania K94UB
The Scania K94 is a rear-engined bus built by Scania of Sweden.It could be built as a coach or intercity bus , but one example of the low-entry citybus version was produced in 2000.In Hong Kong, the K94UB has been fitted with a Volgren 12m double-deck bodywork and is currently in operation with...
- Volvo Olympian
The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo in Irvine, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian and the Volvo Citybus....
- Volvo B6LE
The Volvo B6 is a midibus manufactured by Volvo between c. 1991 and 1998. Its low-floor variant, the Volvo B6LE, was first built in 1994....
Historical
- Bristol Lodekka
The Bristol Lodekka was a low-height double-decker bus built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in England.Bristol manufactured over 5200 Lodekkas from 1949 to 1968, as a standard double-deck vehicle for the UK state-owned bus sector. With all examples bodied by Eastern Coach Works in Lowestoft, they...
- Dennis Dart SLF
- Dennis Dominator
The 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...
- Daimler/Leyland Fleetline
The Daimler Fleetline was 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 1982...
- Leyland Atlantean
The Leyland Atlantean was a model of double-decker bus built by Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1986....
- Leyland Victory Mk2
Leyland Victory Mk2 is a front-engine double-decker bus chassis built by Leyland between 1978 and 1981. Like its competitor Dennis Jubilant, it was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong.The chassis was developed from the Guy Victory J, which was also chosen by...
- Volvo Ailsa B55
The 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...
- Volvo B6
The Volvo B6 is a midibus manufactured by Volvo between c. 1991 and 1998. Its low-floor variant, the Volvo B6LE, was first built in 1994....
- Volvo B10M
The Volvo B10M is a popular mid-engined bus and coach chassis built by Volvo between 1978 and 2001. It was built as the successor of the B58 and was equipped with a 9.6-litre horizontally-mounted Volvo THD100/THD101/THD102/DH10A diesel engine placed under the floor...
- Volvo B12T
Controversy
Refuses to rent bus for the First Hong Kong Pride 2008
Hong Kong Pride 2008 Organising Committee asks to rent an open top Double-Decker bus for the parade. However, Hong Kong Citybus refused to rent by base on concerns about its image. "This was a blatant act of discrimination, especially seeing the fact that this is a legal parade and the Hong Kong police have granted a permit," says Betty Grisoni, co-founder of a lesbian-rights organisation called Les Peches, which helped organise the parade.
Competitors
Citybus's rivals include:
- Kowloon Motor Bus
The 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...
- MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR is the company that owns and runs the MTR metro system...
- operator of the MTRMTR, or Mass Transit Railway, is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. The MTR first began service in 1979 and officially merged with the Kowloon Canton Railway on 2 December 2007, still bearing the same name in English. The network includes 211.6 km of rail with 150 stations,...
railway
- 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....
- company lost franchise to New World First Bus in 1998
See also
External links