The Awesome Bus Culture in Hong Kong
30+ Types of Buses seen in Hong Kong
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 52 years - I know the place.
I have personally completed 2,300+ Private Experiences (over 6,000+ guests) since April 2011 and I am considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.
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Hong Kong - A City of 20,000+ Buses
Now that is what I call a Classic Bus - KMB have been operating buses in Hong Kong since 1933
One of the Tour Bus “Graveyards” at the height of Covid in mid 2022
Public Transport in Hong Kong
Buses in Hong Kong - The Ultimate Introduction to Bus Categories
I am a fairly decent photographer but in no shape or form am I a professional so to speak, I like to take photographs and have a great camera and I have now amassed over 168,000 images of Hong Kong and 59 + million views, Hong Kong is my passion and I am aiming for a revised figure of around 300,000 images within the next 5 years (ish)
My primary interest has always been cars and car licence plates and 5 years ago I think I had less than 100 bus images and then something clicked (sorry!) and I turned my interest to trucks first and now buses which are pretty much very important in the Public Transport Infrastructure in Hong Kong and wow, what a fascinating bus culture we have and more importantly not many people in Hong Kong where taking and posting images of buses unless we are talking about the franchised buses from KMB and Citybus, franchised buses seem to have a cult following in Hong Kong, mainly young guys with fancy camera’s with 2ft lenses!
As of May 2024 I have only seen 40 - 50 of the 100% Electric buses on the road (and they tend to be green in colour), I doubt these will become mainstream anytime soon given the huge investment needed to replace all the current buses and set up the EV Charging infrastructure and to complicate matters, hydrogen fuelled buses are being trialled in Hong Kong and a Hydrogen supplier has invested in one of our major franchised bus companies……
I always like to remind myself of the importance of buses in Hong Kong I have been riding buses pretty much daily since 1972, people take them for granted and probably do not give the drivers (sorry, Bus Captains) a moments thought and yet without them Hong Kong would literally grind to a halt within an hour, they are the unsung heroes of public transport along with our Truck drivers.
Amazingly the Bus companies work hand in hand with the MTR Corp (Subway) our public transport system really is one of the best in the world for a major city.
Whilst the bus images show the types of bus categories they are not in any particular order and there can be multiple images for some categories, simply because I like the image!
Public Transport in Hong Kong
Below are images of the Main Bus Category Types in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Buses | School Bus
The Rosaryhill School bus, a very iconic and famous school with a cool bus to match their status
Hong Kong Buses | China Motor Bus - Airport Express
CMB
Now that is a famous name from the past, China Motor Bus, they first bus company in Hong Kong established in 1924 and it ceased operations in 1998, when it officially became a property company. The demise of the company changed the Public Transport market dramatically and KMB and Citybus became the prominent players when it relates to buses. I have no idea why CMB is running a limited Airport Express Service or maybe it is a movie prop or something!
Hong Kong Buses | Public Light Bus - Red Top
A legendary bus service - these mini buses seat 16 or 19 people, not for the faint hearted! They have a start point and an end point but the route can change on the whim of the driver and you have to yell out to the driver if you want to get off, there are no fixed stops. Cheap and a lot of the red top mini buses are quite shabby, something every resident of Hong Kong has to do at least once.
Public Light Buses have very cheap fares by the way!
Hong Kong Buses | Public Light Bus - Green Top
A somewhat more refined mini bus service, they have a fixed route and fixed stops and a timetable of sorts (you might wait for 20 minutes and then 4 will turn up at once!), they often serve private housing estates and take you to the nearest MTR Station (Subway) or large mall, I take one almost daily. They also seat 16 - 19 passengers
In Hong Kong 8 is a very lucky number, it means wealth, the owner of this route loves the number 8
Public Light Buses have very cheap fares by the way!
Hong Kong Buses | Citybus - Franchised Bus Service
Depending on who you talk to Citybus was established in either 1977 or 1979! they have currently approximately 120 routes and 1,700 + buses, they have certainly had a very positive impact on bus services in Hong Kong
The Central to Stanley, Southside, Hong Kong route is a very popular route particularly on a Sunday, it stops at a couple of nice beaches on the way
Hong Kong Buses | School Bus - Nanny Van
I often find it strange that people assume that this colour scheme is specific for school buses, it isn’t but a good percentage of them are this colour and historically they where and still are called Nanny Vans, most school buses also have an onboard Bus Mum to keep the little blighters under control.
Hong Kong Buses | KMB - Franchised Bus Service
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd
The 2nd oldest bus company in Hong Kong, established in 1933 and by far the biggest franchised bus operator with well over 400 routes and 4,000+ buses.
I a managed to get them almost symmetrically lined up
Hong Kong Buses | Public Light Bus - Green Top
A somewhat more refined mini bus service, they have a fixed route and fixed stops and a timetable of sorts (you might wait for 20 minutes and then 4 will turn up at once!), they often serve private housing estates and take you to the nearest MTR Station (Subway) or large mall, I take one almost daily. They also seat 16 - 19 passengers
Public Light Buses have very cheap fares by the way!
Hong Kong Buses | Public Light Bus - Green Top
A somewhat more refined mini bus service, they have a fixed route and fixed stops and a timetable of sorts (you might wait for 20 minutes and then 4 will turn up at once!), they often serve private housing estates and take you to the nearest MTR Station (Subway) or large mall, I take one almost daily. They also seat 16 - 19 passengers
This is actually a special bus and at the moment serves one route which ends at a local hospital, you guessed it, it was modified to serve passengers in wheelchairs and it took 2 years of red tape regarding the modifications before it was deemed fit for the road!
Public Light Buses have very cheap fares by the way!
Hong Kong Buses | Public Light Bus - Red Top
A legendary bus service - these mini buses seat 16 or 19 people, not for the faint hearted! They have a start point and an end point but the route can change on the whim of the driver and you have to yell out to the driver if you want to get off, there are no fixed stops. Cheap and a lot of the red top mini buses are quite shabby
I am often amused at how there are Public Light Bus Services in many up market areas of Hong Kong Island, not everyone has access to a fancy car!
Public Light Buses have very cheap fares by the way!
Hong Kong Buses | Contract Hire
There is no shortage of bus companies offering small, medium and large buses | coaches for hire
This one is for wedding parties
Hong Kong Buses | Contract Hire
There is no shortage of bus companies offering small, medium and large buses | coaches for hire, it is a very competitive market
Hong Kong Buses | Contract Hire
There is no shortage of bus companies offering small, medium and large buses | coaches for hire, it is a very competitive market
Hong Kong Buses | KMB - Franchised Bus Service
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd
The 2nd oldest bus company in Hong Kong, established in 1933 and by far the biggest franchised bus operator with well over 400 routes and 4,000+ buses.
I always love the fact that a lot of KMB buses are great for advertising!
Hong Kong Buses | Public Light Bus - Green Top
A somewhat more refined mini bus service, they have a fixed route and fixed stops and a timetable of sorts (you might wait for 20 minutes and then 4 will turn up at once!), they often serve private housing estates and take you to the nearest MTR Station (Subway) or large mall, I take one almost daily. They also seat 16 - 19 passengers
This is another very special mini bus, my first time to see a brand new model MAN branded bus, I think this is or has been modified for wheelchair users, I have seen MAN buses before decades ago but they are very expensive when compared to the normal Toyota bus, so it must have a special purpose.
Public Light Buses have very cheap fares by the way!
Hong Kong Buses | Citybus - Franchised Bus Service
Depending on who you talk to Citybus was established in either 1977 or 1979! they have currently approximately 120 routes and 1,700 + buses
Hong Kong Buses | Citybus + CityFlyer- Franchised Bus Service
Depending on who you talk to Citybus was established in either 1977 or 1979! they have currently approximately 120 routes and 1,700 + buses
The Cityflyer division of Citybus is a very profitable venture, they have many routes that take residents and visitors to many parts of Hong Kong from Hong Kong International Airport (it is a to and from service from the Airport) and the fares are considerably cheaper than taxi’s or car hire services and the Airport Express Train Service - very popular with budget travellers!
Hong Kong Buses | KMB - Franchised Bus Service
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd
The 2nd oldest bus company in Hong Kong, established in 1933 and by far the biggest franchised bus operator with well over 400 routes and 4,000+ buses.
I always love the fact that a lot of KMB buses are great for advertising!
Hong Kong Buses | Tour Bus - Medium
This style tour bus can be modified to fit 16, 19 or 29 passengers or configured to a more specific numbers of seats, I have to say that many tour operators take great pains to ditch stock seats and replace them with comfortable seats, it is very thoughtful of them.
Hong Kong Buses | Tour Bus - Large
This style tour bus can seat 50 passengers and is commonly used for NON Mainland Chinese Tourists, Gray Line Tours and Splendid Tours are the big players for foreign tourists
Hong Kong Buses | Tour Bus - Large
This style tour bus can seat 50 passengers and is commonly used for Mainland Chinese Tourists
Hong Kong Buses | Tour Bus - Open Top Double Decker
Operated by the Big Bus Company
This is a specific bus for a specific route on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, introduced in 2024
Hong Kong Buses | Employee Service
Many large companies have a fleet of mini buses seating from 16 - 29 passengers for Employee use
This is operated by the MTR Corp. (Subway)
Hong Kong Buses | Residents Service
Many large private housing estates have a fleet of mini buses seating from 16 - 29 passengers for tenant use, they do charge a premium price which tends to be a lot higher than normal public transport but tenants see it as a must have service.
Hong Kong Buses | KMB - Franchised Bus Service
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd
The 2nd oldest bus company in Hong Kong, established in 1933 and by far the biggest franchised bus operator with well over 400 routes and 4,000+ buses.
I always love the fact that a lot of KMB buses are great for advertising!
Hong Kong Buses | KMB - Franchised Bus Service
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd
The 2nd oldest bus company in Hong Kong, established in 1933 and by far the biggest franchised bus operator with well over 400 routes and 4,000+ buses.
This is one of their new single decker 100% Electric buses
I always love the fact that a lot of KMB buses are great for advertising!
Hong Kong Buses | Police Bus
Custom made for the Hong Kong Police Force, they are in every district.
Hong Kong Buses | School Bus - Nanny Van
I often find it strange that people assume that this colour scheme is specific for school buses, it isn’t but a good percentage of them are this colour and historically they where and still are called Nanny Vans
Hong Kong Buses | LWB - Franchised Bus Service
Long Win Bus Comany
Owned by KMB
This bus company in Hong Kong was established in 1997 and basically serves Hong Kong International Airport with well over 40+ routes and 260+ buses.
Hong Kong Buses | Private Use for Companies and Organisations
This is a common sight, patient transfer for the Hospital Authority although I cannot work out why it does not have an AM licence plate, all Government vehicles have special plates (A for Ambulances, F for Fire Service Vehicles and AM for the rest)
The Hospital Authority is a Government Statutory Body., one of life’s mysteries
Hong Kong Buses | Tour Bus - Open Top Double Decker
Operated by the Big Bus Company, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon
Hong Kong Buses | Hong Kong Government Bus or Coach - All Departments
Plenty of Government Departments have buses - this is a Civil Aid Service bus.
Hong Kong Buses | Staff Bus - Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
They tend to use a lot of staff when they do raids and arrest a lot of people, buses are essential, it looks like a van but it is actually a bus
Hong Kong Buses | School Bus
Many schools in Hong Kong operate their own bus service for pupils that are not the traditional Nanny Vans and trust me they can be quite expensive but absolutely crucial! (I speak from personal experience, we have 3 sons who did their schooling in Hong Kong)
Hong Kong Buses | Park Island - Non Franchised Bus Service
Basically a bus service for residents of a massive private housing estate on Lantau Island, it takes them to and from a large MTR Station (Subway) and shopping mall in Tsing Yi. An essential service for residents
Hong Kong Buses | Contract Hire - Commerical Building
There are no shortage of bus companies offering small, medium and large buses | coaches for hire to commercial buildings, a very popular service
Hong Kong Buses | MTR - Non Franchised Bus Service
The MTR Corp. (Subway) has a fleet of buses for employees as well as use for transporting passengers of the subway from point A to B if there is a problem with the subway service, in some districts, they run a few feeder services to take people to the nearest MTR Station.
Hong Kong Buses | Hotel Bus
This style hotel bus can be modified to fit 16, 19 or 29 passengers or configured to a more specific numbers of seats and Hotels see them as a vital service for hotel guests, given that rather amazingly a lot of 5 star Hotels are NOT in convenient locations - for example the Hotel Icon is a good 15 minute walk from the nearest POPULAR MTR (Subway) Station, this is why the hotel bus comes in very handy and a lot of Hotels think they are essential, thank goodness.
Hong Kong Buses | Prison Bus - Hong Kong Correctional Services
For prisoner transfer
Hong Kong Buses | KMB - Franchised Bus Service
The Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (1933) Ltd
The 2nd oldest bus company in Hong Kong, established in 1933 and by far the biggest franchised bus operator with well over 400 routes and 4,000+ buses.
This is one of their new double decker 100% Electric buses
I always love the fact that a lot of KMB buses are great for advertising!
Hong Kong Buses | NLB - Franchised Bus Service
New Lantao Bus Company
Established in 1973 (and I was using them then to go to Tai O)
It has almost 30 routes and 130+ buses and is owned by a privately owned bus hire company.
Operating only on Lantau Island, they serve the whole island including routes to the Big Buddha and the Tai O Fishing Village which are major tourist attractions., because there is not much traffic the bus drivers are prone to speeding which is always a problem when quite often there are herds of cows on the roads on Lantau!
Hong Kong Buses | HZMB - Non Franchised Bus Service
HZMB Bus Company
I am still puzzled and flummoxed at to what this service is, their website seems to suggest you can take a bus from Hong Kong to Zhuhai in China or from Hong Kong to Macau but I have to say it is not very clear… anyway this bus route does exist!
Hong Kong Buses | Hong Kong Government Bus or Coach - All Departments
The Government being the Government needs lots of buses for every department so they are very common and can be identified by the AM Licence Plate.
Hong Kong Buses | DBTS - Non Franchised Bus Service
Discovery Bay Transportation Services
Discovery Bay is a massive resort style upmarket Housing Estate on Lantau Island and offers bus services to many key places on Lantau Island, particularly the local MTR (Subway Station) and the Airport - an essential service for residents and visitors alike
Hong Kong Buses | NWFB - Franchised Bus Service
New World First Bus
Established in 1998 and grew to almost 100 routes before it’s merger with Citybus
New World First Bus was merged into the Citybus empire in 2022 and it seems they are keeping the colour scheme of NWFB and simply replacing the logo with the Citybus logo
Public Transport in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Transport - Buses | All types
The number of buses registered + licenced in Hong Kong seems to fluctuate between 18,000 - 22,000 vehicles and presumably new buses registered are offset by old buses being retired or sold over the border in China. (Source - The Transport Department, Hong Kong Government)
Bus services in Hong Kong have to be amongst the best of all major cities in the World.
An excellent source of information is the Hong Kong Government | Transport Department Website
All Major Franchised Public Bus Services using mainly brand new double decker buses and all of them are testing single decker and double decker 100% electric buses for future use as well as exploring hydrogen as a fuel for buses.
Citybus
Kowloon Motor Bus | KMB
Long Win Motor Bus | LWB
New Lantao Bus | NLB
***New World First Bus | NWFB
Note: as of mid 2020 Citybus and NWFB were sold to a Private Equity Fund and in July 2022 New World First Bus merged into the Citybus operation and all buses will have the Citybus colours in due course, in the interim buses now have the Citybus logo and will now be placed in the Citybus album
I recall vividly in the early 1990's the ancient "hot dog buses" which were still be being used by KMB and China Motor Bus, no air conditioning - we have come a long way since then and the quick change to retiring ancient buses started with the demise of China Motor Bus (effectively replaced by Citybus) in the mid 1990's. KMB established in 1933 are replacing all their older buses with brand spanking new double deckers in their iconic red livery - fantastic!
Non - Franchised Public Bus Services using double decker and single decker buses (feeder services)
Mass Transit Railway | MTR
All Major Franchised Public Minibus Services (PLB) seating 16 or 19 people
Franchised Public Light Bus Red Top
Franchised Public Light Bus Green Top
Privately Owned Buses
Toyota seems to be the preferred brand for privately owned small and medium sized buses.
Resident Services Buses
School Buses
Tour Buses
Misc. Buses for any type of charter | hire too numerous to mention including cross border buses.
One of the largest privately owned companies is Kwoon Chung Bus Company who also offer Non Franchised and Franchised Bus Services through it‛s subsidiary New Lantao Bus
Many privately owned bus companies have contracts with the Hong Kong Government.
Any Government OWNED and operated vehicle in this section (such as Correctional Services Buses) have a licence plate starting AM and any Chinese Military Vehicle has a licence plate starting ZG and naturally some of these vehicles have personalized licence plates which they buy at Government Auction!
Book Now
| Cultural Tourism At It’s Very Best |
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Jamie, Your Passionate Hong Kong Expert & Storyteller
Discover Hong Kong - Pearl of the Orient
Learn about the unbiased, real Hong Kong | forget what you read in the press!
