Kowloon Motor Bus
| The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited 九龍 巴士 (一九 三 三) 有限公司 |
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| Basic information | |
| Company headquarters |
 Hong Kong , China
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| Web presence | kmb.hk |
| Reference year | 2016 |
| owner | Transport International Holdings Limited 載 通 國際 控股 有限公司 |
| Seat | 15 / F, 9 Po Lun Street, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| founding | May 1933 |
| Board | Roger LEE Chak Cheong 李澤昌 (董事 總經理) Evan AUYANG (Deputy) 歐陽 杞 浚 (副 董事 總經理) |
| sales | HK $ 6,134.7 million |
| Lines | |
| bus | 384 |
| number of vehicles | |
| Omnibuses | 3921 |
| statistics | |
| Passengers | 990.1 million |
| Mileage | 282.5 million km |
| Operating facilities | |
| Depots | Kowloon Bay Depot (K) Lai Chi Kok Depot (L) Sha Tin Depot (S) Tuen Mun Depot (U) |
Kowloon Motor Bus , or KMB for short ( Chinese 九龍 巴士 (一九 三 三) 有限公司 / 九龙 巴士 (一九 三 三) 有限公司 , short: 九巴 ) is the largest bus company in Hong Kong and operates almost 400 lines there.
history
founding
The company The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited was established in May 1933, after the Hong Kong authorities, some concessions were reassigned to the operation of bus routes and a joint bid of the predecessor companies China Motor Bus Company and the old Kowloon Motor Bus Company awarded and the winner is. China Motor Bus had already operated 15 buses in Kowloon since 1924 , Kowloon Motor Bus 9 buses between Tsim Sha Tsui (ferry terminal) and Sham Shui Po .
From June 11, 1933, the new KMB took over eleven additional lines in Kowloon and the New Territories for an initial period of 15 years and had increased its fleet to around 110 buses. However, the company found it difficult at times to comply with government regulations. Four months after the start of operations, a fine was imposed because it could not keep to the schedule. Since 1938 complaints about the bus offer in the newspapers increased. In particular, overcrowding of the vehicles, low frequency and delays were criticized. Another requirement for licensing was to use only UK-made bus models.
Wars
At the beginning of the 1940s this became increasingly difficult because of the Second World War , as the bus manufacturers could no longer work properly and the buses could hardly be shipped to Hong Kong. The KMB's proposals to temporarily import buses from the USA or to convert existing vehicles into double-decker buses were rejected. Bus traffic has not been able to continue since the Japanese occupation in the winter of 1941 ; the Japanese army also confiscated or destroyed some buses. The occupiers founded and licensed a new bus company - Hong Kong Motor Transport Co. - and operated four lines. After the Japanese occupation ended in 1945, the government under General Cecil Harcourt asked KMB to resume bus traffic as soon as possible. Due to the severe damage, however, this was only possible to a very limited extent between the pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, St. Teresa Church and Prince Edward Road.
In 1948 KMB finally acquired the first double-decker bus, a Daimler A , and a few months later used four buses of this type on Line 1 from Tsim Sha Tsui to Kowloon City . In 1950 the double-decker fleet already comprised 75 vehicles compared to approx. 125 single buses.
Geographical spread
Since 1953, the Hong Kong administration planned to set up satellite cities in the periphery to create more living space and thus to cope with population growth. Bus traffic in these areas had to be expanded and KMB was able to operate additional lines. Several lines were added in the Tsuen Wan area, bus stations were built and lines were realigned. Although the government planned to strengthen internal traffic as much as possible and motivate people to live and work in the satellite cities, a number of journeys between the satellite cities and the previous urban areas in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island had to be maintained.
In 1961 KMB went public and two years later operated 62 lines, including 25 in the New Territories and 36 in Kowloon, as well as one line on Lantau Island . The fleet consisted of 425 double-decker buses and 433 single buses. The mileage was around 3.96 million miles with around 1.41 million passengers per day. As the economy grew, people were increasingly willing to use the bus instead of walking. During the riots of 1967 , many KMB employees quit their jobs. Many buses were also destroyed, so that in the end only six lines in Kowloon and five in the New Territories could be operated. Police operations were sometimes necessary to maintain bus traffic.
An important time for Kowloon Motor Bus was the opening of the Cross Harbor Tunnel in 1972. For the first time, a direct bus connection from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island was possible and passengers did not have to change to the Star Ferry . KMB initially operated 3 lines, from the following year 4 and 1977 already 11. With the opening of the Mass Transit Railway in 1979 and the tram in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun in 1988, several KMB lines were set in these areas. The bus was now subordinate to the railways as a means of transport, politics pursued the motto “rail first”. In order to remain competitive with the rail, the number of express buses between rural and urban areas was increased; in 1996 there were 25 lines. After the Eastern Harbor Crossing was also completed in 1989, the number of lines with harbor crossings increased from 10 (1975) to 55 (1996).
Today KMB operates around 400 lines in all areas of Hong Kong. On most lines, the route is divided into different sections, according to which the tariff to be paid is based. The corresponding amount can be paid in cash, but the use of the Octopus card , a prepaid card , is more popular . Under certain conditions (such as pre- / post-carriage on certain lines), a discount is granted when using the card.
literature
- Ko Tim-keung: 80 years with KMB (1933-2013). Joint Publishing, Hong Kong 2014, ISBN 978-962-04-3490-7 .
Web links
- Company website (Chinese, English)
- KMB route planner (Chinese, English)
- KMB route discount overview - Octopus credit card (Chinese, English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ More about KMB. (pdf) KMB, 2016, accessed on November 30, 2017 (English).
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 32.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 29; 32.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 44.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 47.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 50.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 58.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, pp. 77-78.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 80.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 101.
- ^ Ko: 80 years with KMB (1933–2013). 2014, p. 110; 134; 137.
Coordinates: 22 ° 20 ′ 10.5 ″ N , 114 ° 8 ′ 33.6 ″ E