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End of an Era for Water Travel: Final Days for Tai Shui Hang Kaito Service

On 9 July 2024, Best Sonic Industrial Limited ceased operating their Tai Shui Hang — Ma Liu Shui — Tai Mei Tuk Kaito ferry service (T.P.18), due to the established transport networks and frequent bus services provided by KMB route 287. With its low patronage, the ferry service has made its final service during the weekend of 6 and 7 July. After that, the only way to travel to Tai Mei Tuk would be a mixture of bus and train rides from Tai Shui Hang and Ma On Shan, which adds to the inconvenience.

Tai Mei Tuk is seen as a popular tourist destination during the summer, especially after the pandemic. Critics worried that this move would make Ting Kok Road more congested as that was the only major road — the other being Bride's Pool Road — to get in and out of Tai Mei Tuk. The ferry service only operates during weekends and public holidays and charges HK$20 for each journey. Service hours began at 11:00 am (UTC+8) in the morning and concluded at 7:00 pm in the evening.

Historic Party: Citybus' New Open-Top Bus Routes for 45th Anniversary Celebrations

From 12 July to 11 August 2024, two special open-top bus routes, H1© and H2© will be operated by Citybus under the name Historic Party, as part of the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the bus operator. Two open-top buses will carry the special PAC-MAN™ wrapping for this occasion, and commemorative souvenir tickets are available in the Citybus e-Shop. The bus routes covered the footprints of Citybus in the past 45 years, reminiscing about the old days of Hong Kong, and celebrating this occasion with the public.

Route details

H1©

One of the bus routes, H1©, will bring riders from Central Ferry Piers to the Southern District, the latter where Citybus thrived in the 1990s. After crossing the Aberdeen Tunnel, the bus will climb up to Lei Tung Estate on the heights of Ap Lei Chau, before visiting Wah Fu Estate. The bus journey concludes by crossing the harbour via Western Harbour Crossing and terminates at The Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui.

H2©

The other bus route, H2©, runs in the opposite direction and instead visits Wan Chai, the Mid-Levels, and West Point. The bus route starts by departing Tsim Sha Tsui and travelling to Hong Kong Island by traversing the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and then setting foot on some of the famous attractions including the Old Wan Chai Police Station, Hong Kong Park, and the University of Hong Kong, before returning to Central Ferry Piers, where the bus route terminates.

Milestone for Citybus: Historic Crossing of Tunnels by Hydrogen Bus

Citybus made history on 14 July 2024 by running to and from Hong Kong Island with passengers for the first time, Weisheit WSD6121BR3FCEV hydrogen fuel cell bus 59200 on cross-harbour bus route 170. The government-supported move means that Citybus has made a huge step in the decarbonization of Hong Kong transportation.

The bus was just put into service in February 2024, however, regulations at that time banned such vehicles from traversing in vehicular tunnels, which was removed in March of the same year.

Groundbreaking crossing

On the morning of 14 July, Citybus invited government officials and the media to take a ride on the hydrogen bus, leaving the bus operator's West Kowloon depot, and crossing Western Harbour Crossing towards Wah Fu Estate. Those onboard included Tse Chin Wan, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Wong Shuk Han, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Liu Chun San, the Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, as well as key members of the Legislative Council, along with Cliff Zhang, Chairman of Citybus, and Managing Director Richard Hall.

The bus then made a stop at the Wah Fu (South) bus terminus, where a press conference was held in place. Cliff Zhang said that the bus operator is now "extremely proud" to provide such a service. Richard Hall, when asked about the fares regarding the introduction of new energy buses, replied "Fares have to rise on a long-game basis. Fares are critical to supporting the sustainability of our operations. Fares ensure that our employees [and] citizens of Hong Kong can meet their cost of living."

Passenger journey

At 13:40 (UTC+8), the bus set off from Wah Fu (Central) towards Sha Tin Station, and exited the north portal of the Aberdeen Tunnel for the first time at 13:51. Bus enthusiasts filled almost every seat and space inside the hydrogen bus en route to Sha Tin. According to Cable News, a bus enthusiast was very joyful to be the first passenger on this special journey after a very long wait. Another passenger on the bus thought that the air conditioning was not good for him, but praised the quietness and low emissions of the bus.

Citybus chose cross-harbour bus route 170 for this occasion because of the route characteristic itself. The bus route traverses three vehicular tunnels, the Aberdeen Tunnel, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, and the Lion Rock Tunnel at the same time. In 1993, after taking over the operations of the route from CMB as a jointly operated route with KMB, the route was fully air-conditioned, meaning an improvement in bus services. Not only is the route important in terms of its history, but the hydrogen bus has demonstrated its excellent performance during the first five months of operation on bus routes 20 Waterloo Road Line, 20A Nathan Road Line, and 22M. The government removed the tunnel ban on March 2024 for hydrogen buses with the release of the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong, and after numerous studies, the government and Citybus found that hydrogen buses would be the best alternative to diesel buses as they suit Hong Kong roads better.

The bus made a return trip from Sha Tin Station departing there at 15:40. With the introduction of the hydrogen bus on cross-harbour bus routes, Citybus became the only bus operator in Hong Kong to operate both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses simultaneously. The operator has set 2045 as the year to fully equip its fleet with new energy buses, and in the meantime, the hydrogen bus will be evaluated by its performance. Citybus is also ready to procure more new energy buses to enhance their testing and operational knowledge, as well as evolve the comprehensive zero-emission plan, therefore contributing to a greener future.

New Era for Fu Tip Estate: Commencement of New Bus Routes to Kowloon

On 15 July 2024, two new bus routes were commenced by KMB, operating to and from Fu Tip Estate, serving eastern and southern Kowloon respectively during weekday peak hours. The two routes, 74 and 271A, fully utilized electric buses and thus a new attraction point for the residents of Fu Tip Estate. This is the second wave of transport additions for the public housing estate after bus route 72K, also operated by KMB, commenced in February 2024. Both routes commenced after the public transport bay opened in Fu Tip Estate, allowing the bus routes to terminate within the bay.

Route details

74

This new route traverses the Tate's Cairn Tunnel and connects Tai Po and Pak Shek Kok with Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong, and Yau Tong. The morning service sets off from Fu Tip Estate at 8:00 in the morning and returns from Yau Tong departing at 18:00. The single adult full fare is HK$14.6, with multiple section fares. Commuters can ride on this route directly to Kowloon Bay and Kwun Tong without stress (unless the traffic jams along the tunnel and Tolo Highway) to and from their workplaces located in Kowloon East with just paying once each way.

271A

In addition to the new route to Kowloon East, a new bus route via Tsing Sha Highway and south-western Kowloon, also commenced operations on the same day as bus route 74. Bus route 271A avoids the congested Lion Rock Tunnel, and instead uses Tsing Sha Highway for a faster, speedy connection. That was the first time that electric buses had traversed this highway. The morning trip from Tai Po runs to Tai Kok Tsui non-stop, then uses the major roads of West Kowloon to reach Mody Road of Tsim Sha Tsui. The route will also visit Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, a saviour for commuters going to Mainland China. The evening return trip runs a similar route, and the single full adult fare is HK$11.6, also with multiple section fares.

With the new bus routes entering service to and from Fu Tip Estate, the transport connections for the residential complex are now completed. Future bus routes in Tai Po District include bus routes connecting Shap Sze Heung with east and west Kowloon, Kwai Chung, and Tsuen Wan, operated by Citybus.

Other highlights for July 2024

Citybus participated in the Auto Time Capsule event in Southorn Playground in Wan Chai during the weekend of 6 and 7 July 2024, in which two buses, a Leyland Atlantean and a Weisheit WSD6121BR1EV‎, are on display.
From 9 July to 1 August 2024, KMB will set up touring pop-up ticket offices district-wide selling a variety of bus journey coupons for routes 49, 49M, 69, 72K, 90, 96, 97, 230R, 900, B1, B9, P960, P968, W2, W3, W4, and all Long Win routes that start with the prefix A (only cash are accepted). The booths will also sell KMB Monthly Passes at HK$800 with special gifts presented for purchased customers.
On 11 July 2024, Hong Kong Tramways kicked off its 120th anniversary celebration campaign in collaboration with the renowned cartoon character McDull. A special livery was applied to tramcar numbers 120 and 300 for this special occasion, with more events to follow in the coming months.
A carnival will be held by KMB in Lai Chi Kok in the afternoon on 25 August 2024 for Club1933 members. The carnival includes a bus exhibition and employment booths, like the 90th Anniversary Carnival in Sha Tin depot back in 2023.
KMB is planning to operate a tourist bus route serving special attractions including the West Kowloon Cultural District and Wong Tai Sin Temple as route K1. The route will be operating in a circular, clockwise route and the fares will be set to HK$19.1, with the initial headways of 30 minutes. The discussions are made in the district council meeting on 24 July 2024.
On 28 July 2024, MTR completed its infrastructure upgrades at a crossover at Yau Ma Tei Station, during which no train services were provided between Prince Edward and Ho Man Tin stations. Two KMB routes, 8 and 30X, were offered free travel in the affected area instead.