Transport in Hong Kong

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Public light buses (left) and double-decker buses (right) carry many passengers in Hong Kong everyday.

Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network (one of the world's best), encompassing both public and private transport. Over 80% of trips are on public transport.

[edit] Octopus card payment system

Obverse side of a standard adult card.

Main article: Octopus card

The Octopus card is a stored value smart card which can be used to pay fares on most trains, buses and ferries in Hong Kong. All parking meters accept the Octopus Card as the only form of payment, and a majority of carparks also accepts Octopus card. The Octopus card can also be used and recharged at various convenience stores.

Regular Octopus cards can be purchased at Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and Kowloon Canton Railway (KCR) stations. This type of card is anonymous and hence no personal information and identification are required. If an owner loses the card, only the stored value of the card is lost.

Octopus has become one of the world's most successful electronic cash systems today, with over 12 million Octopus cards in circulation (nearly twice that of Hong Kong's population) and over eight million transactions per day, 300 service vendors (as of January 2005). The operator of the Octopus system, Octopus Cards Limited, is a joint venture between MTR Corporation and other transport companies in Hong Kong. The company has won a number of contracts to extend Octopus-style systems elsewhere such as the Netherlands and Changsha, the People's Republic of China.

[edit] Escalators and moving sidewalks

Central-Mid-Levels escalator.

Main article: Central-Mid-Levels escalator

Hong Kong Island is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which required the development of unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes. In Central and Western district there is an extensive system of escalators and moving sidewalks. The Mid-levels Escalator is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, operating downhill until 10 in the morning for commuters going to work, and then operating uphill until midnight.

The Mid-levels Escalator consists of 20 escalators and 3 moving sidewalks. It is 800 meters long, and climbs 135 vertical meters. Total travel time is 20 minutes, but most people walk while the escalator moves to shorten the travel time. Due to its vertical climb, the same distance is equivalent to several miles of zigzagging roads if travelled by car. Daily traffic exceeds 35,000 people. It has been operating since 1993 and cost HK$ 240 million (USD $30 million) to build.

[edit] Railways

MTR during peak hours.

A broken down tram may cause serious traffic congestion.

The Peak Tram.

Main article: Rail transport in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has an efficient train network. Public transport trains are operated by two companies, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTR) and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC). The MTR operates the metro network within inner urban Hong Kong, Tsuen Wan New Town, Tseung Kwan O New Town, North Lantau New Town, Hong Kong Disneyland and the Airport, while the KCR network connects the northeastern and northwestern parts of the New Territories with the urban areas of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Tramways operates a tram service exclusively on northern Hong Kong Island. The Peak Tram connects Central, Hong Kong's CBD, with the Victoria Peak.

There are four systems under the KCR, namely East Rail, West Rail, KCR Ma On Shan Rail and Light Rail. There are several extensions planned or under construction, including the Lok Ma Chau Spur line, the Kowloon Southern Link, and the Sha Tin to Central Link. Note that the Light Rail possesses many characteristics of a tramway, including running on streets with other traffics (at grades) on some of its tracks.

There are altogether seven lines in the MTR system, with a total of 53 stations. The seven lines are Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line, Tseung Kwan O Line, Tung Chung Line, the Airport Express and the Disneyland Resort Line. The former 5 lines provide ordinary metro services, whereas the Airport Express provides a direct link from the Hong Kong International Airport into the city centre, while the Disneyland Resort Line exclusively takes passengers to Hong Kong Disneyland.

All trains and most KCR/MTR metro stations feature air conditioning which allows the visitor intimidated by Hong Kong's tropical heat to literally shop and work all day without having to experience outside temperatures.

The Hong Kong Tramways is the tram (streetcar) system run exclusively with double deckers. The electric tram system was proposed in 1881; however nobody was willing to invest in a system at the time. In August 1901, the Second Tramway Bill was introduced and passed into law as the 1902 Tramway Ordinance. Hong Kong Tramway Electric Company Limited, a British company, was authorised to take the responsibilities in construction and daily operation. It was soon taken over by another company, Electric Tranction Company of Hong Kong Limited and then the name was changed to Hong Kong Tramways Company Limited in 1910.

The rail system is 13 kilometres (8 miles) long, with a total track length of 30 km (18.6 miles), and it runs together with other vehicles on the street. Its operation relies on the 550V direct current (d.c.) from the overhead cables, on 3'6" gauge (1067 mm) tracks. The trams provide service to only part of Hong Kong Island: they run on a double track along the northern coast of Hong Kong Island from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, with a single clockwise-running track of about 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) around Happy Valley Racecourse.

The Peak Tram is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. It provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and the skyscrapers of Hong Kong.

[edit] Buses

Main article: Buses in Hong Kong

Citybus Limited which can be easily seen on the Hong Kong island.

Most of the public buses in Hong Kong are double-decker buses, and many of them are low floor (wheelchair accessible). The diagram shows a KMB low floor double decker.

Bus services have a long history in Hong Kong. In 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by the railway companies, and residents' services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories).

The five franchised bus companies are:

Founded in 1933, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is one of the largest privately-owned public bus operators in the world. KMB's fleet consist of about 4,300 buses on 420 routes and a staff of over 13,000. In 1979, Citybus began its operation in Hong Kong with one double-decker, providing shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and Kowloon Tong MTR station. New World First Bus Services Limited was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus. NWFB's owner company later bought Citybus, but the two companies have basically been operating independently.

[edit] Public light buses

Green minibus on Shun Tin, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong, heading to Ping Shek Estate,Choi Hung (MTR).

Main article: Public light bus

Public light buses (小巴) (widely referred to as minibuses, or sometimes maxicabs, a de facto share taxi) run the length and breadth of Hong Kong, through areas which the standard bus lines cannot or do not reach as frequently, quickly or directly. Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 passengers; no standees are allowed. Minibusses typically offer a faster and more efficient transportation solution due to their smaller capacity, higher frequencies, and direct routing, although they are generally slightly more expensive than franchised buses. The popularity of public light bus services in Hong Kong can be accounted to the high population density which supports the extensive network of minibus services. There are two types of public light buses, green minibuses that have route numbers and stop at designated stops, and red minibuses that do not have regular routes and are unnumbered with no fixed stops. Since the red minibus drivers rely on fares for a living, they are noted for their speeding and large speedometers with alarms which have been required by law on buses in the hope that the passengers can monitor the drivers' driving attributes. Also, as there was a serious accident in October 2004 which claimed the lives of 2 people, seatbelts have been set as standard for new minibses and must be worn by all passengers by law.

[edit] Cross-border bus services to China

A number of operators run cross-border services to China, mostly to cities in Guangdong Province from the airport and many points in Kowloon, Hong Kong and New Territories.

Most of the small towns in Guangdong province are connected by public buses, so travellers should know the major transfer points from where you can either take local buses or taxis to reach your final destination. English speakers will find difficulty in travelling alone unless they have got their destination address written down in Chinese language. It is impossible to find any English-speaking taxi drivers near these cross-border stops to guide them and they will feel lost if they attempt to travel alone without any advance knowledge on the bus routes or transfer points. Even the bus operators’ staff in Hong Kong does not provide much information (even to Chinese speakers) about the destination bus stop details unless forced to do so.

On each route there would be a major central transfer point, usually located in or near a major hotel, where all buses stop and you can either take another bus or taxi to go to nearby towns and come back to return to Hong Kong.

Normally the last direct bus from small Guangdong towns leaves by 4 pm to Hong Kong. If it is missed, the best course of action is to go to the nearest central transfer point and take bus to Hong Kong (normally last bus at 8.30 pm) or to Shenzhen or to Guangzhou for taking another bus to Shenzhen (up to 9.30 pm) to reach Hong Kong by rail or road. It is best to make sure the transfer stops are located in the same bus depot to avoid taking a taxi to the next transfer point.

Cliffort Estate (or Chifu) in Panyu near Guangzhou is such a transfer point from where you can takes direct buses to Hong Kong up to 8.30 pm.

For destination routes and boarding points contact by phone

China Travel Express 2261 2472/ 2764 9803.

This company provides web site, time-table, and all information on the boarding points in China with their phone numbers in English. However, don't expect English speaking service at its China boarding points or offices. It runs cross-borders services to over 80 routes from Hong Kong International Airport, Mong Kok, Kam Tin, Wanchai, Disneyland Resort, Asia Word-Expo and Ocean Park CTS Express Coach

The following companies don't provide information in English so you need to take assistance of Chinese speakers to get information from them. They serve some of the routes to smaller towns which are not served by China Travel Express.

Eternal East 2261 0176 / 2261 2696, 3412 6677
GoGo Bus 2261 0886 / 2375 0099
Airport Chinalink 2261 2188 / 9747 1202
Golden Trip Express 2261 2623
DHK 2739 1728 / 2397 0333 D.H.K.
Sum Wah Guangdong (located at Prince Edward Road opp CTS office) 2381 4355, 2748 1820 and 2397 1761

[edit] Cross-border private coach services to China

Charter Tour Vehicle Service, Private vans, limousines and luxury coaches are now available for travel to China's Pearl River Delta district and Macau.

China Travel Service Ph: 2261 2472 CTS China Travel Tours
Eternal East-Cross Boarder Coach 2261 0176 Eternal East E & E Bus
Trans-Island Chinalink 2261 2636 Trans-Island Trans-Island Chinalink
Golden Trip Express 2261 2636

[edit] Taxis

A taxi stand on Russell Street outside Times Square on a rainy day.

Main article: Taxicabs of Hong Kong

Different coloured taxis serve different areas. Red taxis serve all areas, except most of Lantau Island. Green taxis only serve the New Territories, including specified routes and destinations in Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tsueng Kwan O and northern Lantau, and Blue taxis serve Lantau island only. All taxis are authorised to serve the airport and the Disneyland Resort.

Taxi fare is charged according to the taximeter; however, additional charges on the faretable may apply, such as road tolls and luggage fees. Red urban taxis are the most expensive, while blue Lantau taxis are the cheapest. The standard of service among different kinds of taxis is mostly the same.

As of 2005, there were 18,138 taxis in Hong Kong, 15,250 of which were urban taxis, 2,838 New Territories taxis, and 50 Lantau taxis. Every day, they serve 1.1 million, 207,900, and 1,400 passengers respectively. Taxis carry an average of one million passengers each day, occupying about 12% of the daily patronage carried by all modes of public transport in Hong Kong.

Most of the taxis in Hong Kong run on LPG (liquified petroleum gas) for protection of the environment. In August 2000 a one-off cash grant was paid to taxi owners who replaced their diesel taxi with an LPG one. By the end of 2003, over 99.8% of the taxi fleet in Hong Kong ran on LPG. Since August 2001, all newly purchased taxis run on LPG.

The reason for having three types of taxis is to ensure service availability in less populated regions, as running in the urban centre is considered to be more profitable.

For places served by more than one type of taxis, there are separate queues at the taxi stands.

[edit] Private cars

There are 517,000 cars licensed in Hong Kong, 64% of which are private cars. In terms of private car ownership, the number of cars per capita is half that of Singapore and one-third that of Taiwan. The cars are subjected to a first-time registration tax, which varies from 35% to over 100%, based on the size and value of the car. This is to discourage private car ownership, and to encourage people who do choose to buy cars to buy smaller, more efficient cars that have less tax on them. However, there is less sales tax on vehicles purchased in Hong Kong than in most western countries, so the tax may not be as high as it seems. Most new cars sold in Hong Kong have this tax included in the price of the car.

Most cars are right hand drive models from Japanese or European manufacturers. Some Hong Kong registered vehicles carry secondary mainland Chinese registration plates and can be driven across the border to mainland China, likewise, some of the left hand drive cars seen in Hong Kong are primarily registered in mainland China and carry supplementary Hong Kong registration plates.

Hong Kong does not allow left hand drive vehicles to be primarily registered in Hong Kong.

The biggest problem facing drivers is the ability to find a parking spot. Additionally, traffic at times can be very heavy. Petrol in Hong Kong averages around US$1.55 per litre, of which around half the cost is taxes. Due to high densities, there are not many filling stations. To obtain a driver's licence in Hong Kong is a costly and time consuming affair. There are waiting lists to do the driving tests and a full (private car) driver's licence valid for 10 years costs around US$115. Hong Kong recognizes most foreign drivers licenses. Long term expatriates residing in Hong Kong can be issued a Hong Kong drivers license, provided that they present a valid license from their home country.

Private cars are most popular in the newly developed areas such as Lantau and the areas near the border with mainland China, as there is less public transit, and more parking relative to other areas of Hong Kong.

[edit] Ferries

Meridian Star of Hong Kong Star Ferry.

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A triple decker ferry of New World First Ferry

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[edit] Internal routes

Most ferry services are provided by licensed ferry operators. As of September 2003, there were 27 regular licensed passenger ferry services operated by 11 licensees, serving outlying islands, new towns and inner-Victoria Harbour. Two of the routes operated by the Star Ferry are franchised. Additionally, 78 "kai-to" ferries are licensed to serve remote coastal settlements.

The following companies operate ferry services in Hong Kong:

Star Ferry:

Central to Tsim Sha Tsui
Wanchai to Tsim Sha Tsui
Central to Hung Hom
Wanchai to Hung Hom
Harbour Tour (Circular between Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Wan Chai, and Hung Hom)

New World First Ferry:

Central to Cheung Chau, Mui Wo, and Peng Chau
Tsim Sha Tsui, Mui Wo, Cheung Chau (Weekends Only)
Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan, and Cheung Chau
North Point to Hung Hom and Kowloon City
Tuen Mun to Tung Chung

Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry:

Lamma Island to Central and Aberdeen

HKR International Limited:

Discovery Bay to Central

Park Island Transport Company Ltd.:

Ma Wan to Central
Ma Wan to Tsuen Wan

[edit] External routes

Fastferry hydrofoil and catamaran service is available at all times of the week between Hong Kong and Macau.

TurboJet provides 24-hour services, connecting Central and Macau. Its highest frequency is 15 minutes. It also provides the following regular services:

Hong Kong International Airport to Shenzhen Airport / Macau / Guangzhou (East River Guangzhou Ferry Terminal)
Tsim Sha Tsui to Guangzhou
Macau to Shenzhen Airport
Tsim Sha Tsui to Macau

New World First Ferry (Macau) provides an 17-hour service daily between Tsim Sha Tsui and Macau, with the highest frequency of 30 minutes.

Chu Kong Passenger Transport (CKS) connects Hong Kong to cities in Guangdong province, the People's Republic of China, including Zhuhai (Jiuzhou), Shenzhen (Shekou), Zhongshan, Lianhua Shan (Panyu), Jiangmen, Gongyi, Sanbu, Gaoming, Heshan, Humen, Nanhai, Shunde, Doumen, Zhaoqing.

[edit] Ports and harbours

Victoria Harbour

Main articles: Port of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour

The port of Hong Kong has always been a key factor in the development and prosperity of the special administrative region, which is strategically located on the Far East trade routes and is in the geographical centre of the fast-developing Asia-Pacific Basin. The sheltered harbour provides good access and a safe haven for vessels calling at the port from around the world. In terms of tonnage of shipping using its facilities, cargo handled and the number of passengers carried, Hong Kong is undoubtedly one of the major ports of the world.

The Victoria Harbour is one of the busiest ports in the world. An average of 220,000 ships visit the harbour each year, including both oceanliners and river vessels, for both goods and passengers. The container port in Hong Kong is one of the busiest in the world. The Kwai Chung Terminal operates 24 hours a day. Together with other facilities in Victoria Harbour, they handled more than 20 million TEUs in 2003. Some 400 container liners serve Hong Kong weekly, connecting to over 500 destinations around the world.

[edit] Airports

Inside Hong Kong International Airport

Main article: Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong has one active international airport since the famous former Hong Kong International Airport at Kai Tak was retired in favour of the recently constructed Hong Kong International Airport, also known as Chek Lap Kok International Airport. The airport now serves as a transport hub for Southeast Asia, and as the hub for Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair, Hong Kong Express and Air Hong Kong. Ferry services link the airport with several piers in Pearl River Delta, where immigrations and customs are exempted.

The airport is the third busiest airport for passenger traffic in Asia, and the world's second busiest airport for cargo traffic in 2003. In terms of international traffic, the airport is the third busiest for passenger traffic and the busiest for cargo since its operation in 1998. It is popular with travellers — from 2001 to 2005 Hong Kong International Airport has been voted the world's best airport in an annual survey of several million passengers worldwide by Skytrax. In 2000, the airport also won an award as the 'Asia/Pacific's leading airport' at the 7th World Travel Awards.

According to the Guinness World Records, the passenger terminal of the HKIA is the world's largest airport terminal building, with a covered area of 550,000 m² and recently increased to 570,000 m². The Airport Core Programme was the most expensive airport project in the world.

Shek Kong Airfield, located near Yuen Long, is a military airfield for the People's Liberation Army, which is of limited operating capabilities due to surrounding terrains. The only aircraft operating on the airfield are PLA's Z-9 helicopters, which is the license-built version of the Eurocopter Dauphin.

[edit] Heliports

Hong Kong has three heliports. One heliport is located in the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, by the Shun Tak Centre, in Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island. Another is located in Southwest Kowloon, near Kowloon station. The other is located inside Hong Kong International Airport.

Heli Express operates regular helicopter service between the Macau Ferry Terminal in Macau and the Shun Tak Centre. There are around 16 flights daily. Flights take approximately 20 minutes in the eight-seater aircraft.

There are also a number of helipads across the territory, including the roof of the Peninsula Hotel (which is the only rooftop helipad in the territory, excluding the rooftop heliport of Shun Tak Centre and those in hospitals) and Cheung Chau Island, between Tung Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach.

[edit] Highways

There are a total of 1,831 km of paved highways in Hong Kong. These roads are built to British standards with maximum of three lanes with hard shoulders.

There are 9 roads classified as highways in Hong Kong and re-numbered from 1 to 9 in 2004: