On 12 July 2022, Bravo Transport announced that the franchises of Citybus Limited (Franchised Bus Network Hong Kong Island and cross-harbour bus network) ("Citybus (Franchised Bus Network 1)") and New World First Bus Services Limited ("NWFB") would be merged into a new Citybus (Franchised Bus Network for Urban and New Territories Bus Network) ("Citybus (Franchised Bus Network for Urban and New Territories)", also known as "Citybus (Franchised Bus Network 3)"/Citybus (Franchise III)) with effect from 1 July 2023.[1]
This is the first time in 25 years that another franchised bus company ceased its franchise since the end of China Motor Bus (CMB)'s franchised bus services in 1998, and this also marked the resumption of the operations of non-cross-harbour franchised buses on Hong Kong Island under one single bus company.
Background[]
On 9 June 2003, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises acquired Citybus, a company wholly owned by Stagecoach, for HK$2.2 billion. Henry Cheng Kar-shun, then Director of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, said that it would be a better operating environment if there were only two bus companies in the public transport sector in the local market. Chow Tai Fook therefore explored the possibility of merging NWFB and Citybus to make the work easier in the future and commissioned an independent financial consultant to conduct a preliminary study to explore the feasibility of a merger of the two bus companies to facilitate the financing arrangements in the future, but this was a preliminary plan without specific details on bus route rationalisation and development; at the same time, there were no specific details on bus route rationalisation and development if the plan was carried out. However, it is a preliminary plan with no specific details on bus route rationalisation and development. Meanwhile, if the plan is implemented, it is promised that there will be no layoffs within a year, but it is difficult to guarantee in the long run. [2][3][4][5] According to a NWS spokesman quoted by the media, the reason for the move was to achieve three savings, namely, to reduce the number of overlapping routes with NWFB, to share the same depot, and to reduce the number of buses in the fleet, so as to achieve a more efficient use of resources. [6]
Wong Siu Hoi, Managing Director of Chow Tai Fook Securities, told Oriental Daily News that Cheng Yu Tung had been keeping an eye on Citybus for some time, and that since it owned NWFB, the acquisition would make its fleet more cost-effective and could be strategically aligned with the company's fleet. [7]
The Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, later met the media to respond to the acquisition.
| Response from Sarah Liao |
|---|
|
Dr Liao said the sale did not involve the transfer of franchises, and that any future merger of franchises would require an application to the authorities and the consent of the Executive Council, and that the consideration would be whether it would be beneficial to passengers and the public, and whether it would be fair to the public and to the other bus companies, as well as whether it would be in line with the policy of encouraging fair competition on the public transport system, and the efficiency of the operation of the two companies and the situation of their staff after the merger. It would also take into account the operational efficiency and staffing situation of the two companies after the merger. Subsequently, the media mentioned that if the two bus companies were to be merged, would there be any worry that they would monopolise the market as in the case of the former CMB, thus losing the significance of recovering the franchise of CMB for bidding by other bus companies at the beginning? She said that insofar as the bus industry was concerned at that time, the Citybus and the NWFB together accounted for only one-fourth of the total number of buses in the industry, so even if a merger of the two bus companies was to be assumed, it would not result in any monopolisation because the Transport Department (TD) had the right to allocate the bus routes.[5][8] |
In a media interview after attending a public event on 5 July, NWS Group Chief Executive Officer Chan Kam Ling said an independent professional consultant is expected to complete a report on possible options for a merger of the two bus companies in three months' time. The report will examine the approach to the merger, the reorganisation of the overlapping routes of the two bus companies and the NWS's shareholding in the merger, and one of the options to be examined is the formation of a joint venture company between NWS and Chow Tai Fook, with the injection of both bus companies, and no acquisition of the Citybus bus company from its parent company Chow Tai Fook. One of the study options was to form a joint venture between NWS and Chow Tai Fook to inject the two bus companies and not to acquire Citybus from its parent company, Chow Tai Fook. He reiterated the consultant's recommendations on achieving synergies between the two companies in terms of management structure, operations and human resources, and said that the formation of a merged company would not affect the franchises of the two bus companies and therefore did not require the approval of the Legislative Council, nor the approval of the Transport Department. [9][10]
Aborted NWFB and Citybus merger for Chow Tai Fook[]
NWS General Manager Corporate Communications, Mr Kwan Chak-fai, later confirmed to the media that NWS had no intention to apply to the Government for a merger of the franchises of NWFB and Citybus, and would continue to allow each company to operate independently according to the terms of their own franchises. He pointed out that the process of negotiating the terms of the merger with the Government, as in the case of negotiating a new franchise, would be fraught with uncertainties, and that it was unlikely that such negotiations would bear fruit in the near future. [11]
NWS Chairman Henry Cheng Kar-shun stated on 9 December that the reason for not merging the two bus companies was that the Group had conducted a relevant study and found that operating the two companies independently would be a more efficient use of resources and reduce costs.[12] Sing Tao Daily also quoted government sources as saying that a merger could eliminate the distinct monopoly situation that might arise. [13]
Renewed advocacy for merger[]
The novel coronavirus pandemic was widespread in Hong Kong when Bravo Transport took over the businesses of Citybus and NWFB in 2020, with decreasing riderships and worsening operational conditions. William Chung (鍾澤文), Vice Chairman of Bravo Transport, for the first time openly admitted that the direction of the study included merging the franchises of NWFB and Citybus. However, he said that ‘it could not be done overnight’ and that the relevant proposal would involve more complicated issues, and that the proposal would only be finalised after at least one year of intensive discussions and studies, and that it would be necessary to weigh the costs and benefits of the merger before knowing whether it could make the operation of the two bus companies more efficient and worthwhile. The costs and benefits of the merger would have to be weighed to see whether it would make the operation more efficient and worthwhile. Chung pointed out that the merger of franchises would also incur additional costs, such as the unification of the uniforms of the two bus fleets and the painting of bus bodies, which is already very expensive, ‘It costs tens of thousands of dollars to re-grease a bus, and the two bus companies together have already got 1,700 buses to deal with; and when it comes to the uniforms, even if one bus company is required to change to the uniforms of the other, each bus driver will need a few sets of uniforms, which is not a very small amount of cost. We have to be careful, the extra cost may not be lower than the cost of saving’.
He went on to say that one of the biggest considerations in the event of a franchise merger was the issue of fare harmonisation. He said that NWFB and Citybus had two different sets of fares, and as Citybus had not increased its fares for many years, its fares for routes on Hong Kong Island were generally lower. Once the two buses were required to unify their fares, if the lower set of fares was adopted, i.e. NWFB's fares had to be reduced, it would be more difficult to operate under the prevailing operating conditions and not very practicable; and if NWFB's fares were adopted, it would mean that fares for individual Citybus routes on Hong Kong Island would have to be increased substantially. If the middle-of-the-road fare arrangement is adopted, assuming that the NWFB fare is $7-odd and the Citybus fare is $5 for routes passing through individual districts, and the final proposal is set at $6, or that some routes are more expensive than the previous ones or have been flattened, the residents in the districts concerned will have different voices, and there will be an undesirable impression that the fares of individual districts have been increased, thus subsidising the other districts. [14][15]
He also said that the amalgamation of the two bus companies had its own merits, as it provided the bus companies with greater flexibility in management. For example, in the event of an epidemic, such as a drastic drop in the number of passengers on airport bus routes, resulting in a reduction in the number of bus trips, bus captains may have to wait for arrangements to be made. Under the prevailing mechanism, it is not possible for bus captains to be deployed to other bus routes at will, and the consent of the Transport Department has to be sought. However, after the merger of the two bus companies, the companies can deploy bus captains to drive on other routes with flexibility in the use of resources, which can also reduce operating costs. [14]
A step further[]
On 12 July 2022, the Chief Executive in Council of the HKSAR Government granted three new bus franchises. Among them, the expiry date of Citybus Limited (Franchised Bus Network for Hong Kong Island and Cross Harbour Bus Network) ("Citybus (Franchise 1)") was revised from 1 June 2026 to 1 July 2023, which is the same as the expiry date of the franchise of New World First Bus Services Limited ("NWFB"). At the same time, Citybus Limited was granted a new 10-year franchise covering both bus networks under the original "Citybus (Franchise 1)" and "NWFB" franchises. The new franchise, named "Citybus Limited (Franchised Bus Network for Urban and New Territories Bus Network)", will commence on 1 July 2023 and will expire on 30 June 2033.
According to a Government spokesman, through the new franchised bus network arrangement, the Government has merged the existing Citybus (Franchised Bus Network 1) and NWFB franchises, which overlap in most areas of service, to facilitate the continuous improvement and rationalisation of the franchised bus network on Hong Kong Island, enabling the bus companies to deploy resources more flexibly to enhance existing services or introduce new services, and to provide better and more up-to-date public transport ancillary facilities for the benefit of passengers. The merger will enable the bus companies to deploy resources more flexibly to enhance existing services or introduce new services, and to provide better and more up-to-date public transport facilities to benefit passengers.
After the franchise merger, the relevant service rationalisation packages will be implemented progressively through the annual Bus Route Planning Programmes. Under the merger, the fares of all existing routes will remain unchanged. In addition, Citybus Limited (Urban and New Territories Franchiused Bus Network) will strive to enhance the reliability of bus services and further improve lost trips.
Unification of Citybus brandmark[]
Following the announcement of the merger of NWFB's franchise with Citybus on 12 July 2022, Citybus immediately launched a publicity campaign and announced its new slogan "One Family, One Citybus" (「一致服務全城」), symbolising that NWFB and Citybus will serve the public under one big family. The route numbers of the new NWFB non-cross-harbour routes commenced or diverted afterwards shown on stop signs and route maps were all changed from white text with purple background of NWFB standard to white text with blue background of Citybus standard.
After the franchise merger, Bravo Transport will gradually transition from a dual brand to a single brand for Citybus. By then, more buses will be allocated to operate under the classic yellow bus body on former NWFB routes, gradually establishing Citybus as the main operating brand to replace NWFB.
On 20 March 2023, as NWFB's last bus route, Route 694S, commenced service, Citybus arranged a bus draped with "One Citybus" Full Body Livery (8807/WP1057) to run on the debut departure of Route 690S. This was the kick-off of the "One Citybus" campaign.[16]
On 31 May 2023, one month before the merger, Citybus unveiled its new brand identity and unveiled the new Citybus logo, which will be rolled out to the existing NWFB fleet. At the same time, Citybus also announced the launch of five bus body paint designs for its future fleet, which include retaining Citybus' classic yellow paint and the zero-emission transformation programme "#MissionZero" paint, which were selected by public and staff voting from 9 to 18 and 20 to 27 June respectively.[17]
On 1 July 2023, Citybus announced the results of the new bus body livery on the day of franchise merger.[18]
NWFB and Citybus Merger Promotional Activities[]
"Farewell to NWFB"[]
Bravo Transport arranged for some of NWFB's buses (5230, 5518, 5669, 5839) to be fully repainted with the "orange and green wave" livery from the early years of NWFB's service, with the phrase "Farewell to NWFB" (光榮告別新巴) underneath the NWFB logo; meanwhile, Citybus arranged a bus with "One Citybus" Full Body Livery (8807/WP1057) on the debut departure of Route 690S. This was the kick-off of the "One Citybus" campaign.[19]
In addition, some of the NWFB buses (3807, 3830, 5200, 5206, 5211, 5216, 5220) was given an advertisement designed to replicate NWFB's farewell to Leyland Victory II advertisement in 2000 with the phrase "25 Years of Loyal Service to Hong Kong, Farewell NWFB!" (「新巴廿五，光榮告別」). Also, some Citybus buses (8144, 8147, 8163, 8180) were also given special banners with "Thank you for 25 years of NWFB service" (「感謝新巴服務25載」) in a similar design to the NWFB's "100th NWFB" banner from the 100th new bus (3001/HX5993).[20]
NWFB Thankful Festival[]
The "NWFB Thankful Festival" was launched on 21 April 2023, with a "flash mob" event in which buses with the retro livery would run on NWFB's most iconic routes and limited edition bus keychains were distributed to customers[21][22]; while the highlight of the event was the Free Ride Day on 7 May, when all passengers could ride on all departures of NWFB Route 25 for free. On that day, all buses (4 in total) with the retro "orange and green wavy pattern" livery were arranged to run on Route 25, and the route number coincided with NWFB's 25 years of service to Hong Kong.[23]
| List of NWFB Thankful Festival "Flash Mob" events | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | Route | Location | |
| 21 April[21][22] | AM Peak hours | 8P | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) | |
| 26 April | AM Peak hours | 796X | Tiu Keng Leng Station | |
| 30 April[24][25] | From 12pm (noon) | 38 | Chi Fu Fa Yuen | |
| 3 May | AM peak hours | 795[26] | All stops along LOHAS Park | |
| 10 May | AM Peak hours | 702 | Hoi Lai Estate | |
| 14 May | From 1pm | 18 | Belcher Bay | |
.JPG "Bravo staff distribute NWFB 38 key chain and farewell NWFB board 30-04-2023(2).JPG (4.25 MB)")
.JPG "Bravo staff distribute NWFB 38 key chain and farewell NWFB board 30-04-2023(3).JPG (4.3 MB)")
.JPG "Bravo staff distribute NWFB 38 key chain and farewell NWFB board 30-04-2023(4).JPG (3.98 MB)")
.JPG "Bravo staff distribute NWFB 38 key chain and farewell NWFB board 30-04-2023(5).JPG (4.31 MB)")
.JPG "Bravo staff distribute NWFB 38 key chain and farewell NWFB board 30-04-2023(6).JPG (4.44 MB)")
.JPG "Bravo staff distribute NWFB 38 key chain and farewell NWFB board 30-04-2023(7).JPG (4.38 MB)")
.JPG "NWFB 38 key chain 30-04-2023(1).JPG (2.61 MB)")
.JPG "NWFB 38 key chain 30-04-2023(2).JPG (2.21 MB)")
"Farewell to NWFB" Theme Limited Route[]
The NWFB Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus specially commenced a new route H1B between 19 May and 2 July running between Central (Star Ferry) and Tsim Sha Tsui via the origins of NWFB as a review of the glorious past of NWFB. Route H1B's departures towards Central stop by the depot which NWFB leased from China Motor Bus (CMB), the current base of NWFB - Chong Fu Road Depot, Citybus Chai Wan Depot, as well as NWFB's largest bus terminus on Hong Kong Island - Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus; whereas departures from Tsim Sha Tsui stop by NWFB's oldest depot - Wong Chuk Hang Depot, Aberdeen and Wah Fu Estate. [27] The service ran before and after regular Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus service (the former only on weekends) until 2 July 2023, where the trips on 1 and 2 July would be operated by Citybus.
To facilitate the operation of this route, NWFB specially arranged an Enviro500 open-top bus (5550/RK4924) to be repainted with the livery of former CMB non-air-conditioned buses, being the upper cream and lower blue that formed NWFB's initial fleet. In addition, to complete the heritage look, the bus has a NWFB sticker covering the words "China Motor Bus", as well as a banner imitating NWFB promotional banners on both side and engine cover advertisement which wrote "再見新巴 換個新裝與您再聚; Farewell to NWFB- See you soon with a new look!".
Other banner advertisements[]
Some NWFB buses (5583, 5585, 5628, 5648 and 5668) were affixed with the "Everything starts with CITYBUS" (一切從城巴開始) banner advertisement resembling the "Everything starts with NWFB" (一切從新開始) banner advertisement during the early days of NWFB. Units 5805, 5821, 5828, 5829 and 5830 were affixed with another banner advertisement resembling the early NWFB promotional banner showing the words "Serving you as CITYBUS from 1 July." (7月1日起，由城巴接棒。).
"One Citybus" Exhibition @ Central Summerfest 2023[]
- The main article of this section is One Citybus (Central Summerfest 2023 exhibition).
Citybus held a "One Citybus" exhibition area at Central Summerfest 2023 at Central Waterfront Public Space, exhibiting treasurable historical photos, booth games, 1:1 Bus Stops, retired buses, current buses, as well as selling various bus models and souvenirs, to promote the new Citybus branding and as well acting as a public promotion for the Citybus and NWFB Franchised Bus Network Merger.
Transitional Arrangements[]
Staff Employment[]
The remuneration, benefits and seniority of existing Citybus and NWFB staff will not be affected by the merger, and Bravo Transport has undertaken not to lay off frontline bus captain posts as a result of the merger.
In addition, Citybus has signed an agreement with two trade unions, including the Motor Transport Workers General Union Citybus Branch and NWFB Branch, on behalf of its staff on the post-merger staffing arrangements, which includes a commitment to maintain NWFB's "fixed running order" arrangement for its bus captains for three years instead of one year and to grant an additional one day of "merger paid leave" to all eligible staff.
On 26 June 2023, the media reported that Citybus' Senior Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager, Andy Tsang, said that most NWFB bus captains have already signed new contracts, and it is estimated that those who have not signed new contracts may have their own personal reasons, such as impending retirement, and he believes that most of the original NWFB bus captains will be transitioned to become Citybus bus captains from the date of the merger, and that their original remuneration and seniority will not be affected.
On 30 June 2023, Citybus issued a press release stating that on the eve of the merger, lanyards would be distributed to all staff and Citybus lapel pins would be issued to NWFB captains to cover the NWFB lettering, and that the NWFB logo at the Admiralty Customer Service Centre was replaced with the Citybus logo.
Staff Gathering[]
On 30 June 2023, Citybus and NWFB co-hosted the One Citybus Reception, inviting government officials, NWS Holdings' senior management and staff of the two bus companies to gather and bid farewell to the 25-year-old NWFB branding. [28]
Bus Routes and Service Arrangements[]
Following the franchise merger, all operating NWFB routes (including NWFB's solely operated cross-harbour routes) are placed under the management of Citybus. The actual fares of the bus routes remain unchanged in the short term, but the new scale of fares will adopt the scale of fares from the two old franchises, with the NWFB standard for routes on Hong Kong Island and the Citybus standard for routes in Kowloon, the New Territories and cross-harbour routes, whichever is the higher.
NWFB's last night[]
According to a Citybus press release on 26 June 2023, the 1:30 am departure of Route 970X on 1 July 2023 would be the final New World First Bus service, departing from Cheung Sha Wan (Kom Tsun Street) to Aberdeen, whereas the first departure of the new Citybus franchise would be the 4:00 am departure of Route N8P from Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort), and announced in advance that no more than 4 buses would be deployed on that departure.
On 30 June, NWFB entered the last day of its operations, and there were already bus enthusiasts waiting near the Kom Tsun Street Bus Terminus 21 hours before the scheduled last bus time. Due to long queues for the last bus, NWFB staff stopped the queue at around 11:30pm and no longer allowed other people to wait for it (to prevent overcrowding). NWFB deployed all 4 "Farewell to NWFB" orange and green wave livery buses, with 2 Volvo B9TLs with the banner advertisement "25 Years of Loyal Service to Hong Kong, Farewell NWFB!" affixed and one Enviro500 MMC with the "Everything starts with CITYBUS" banner advertisement (5583/TC9853) as additional departure whenever there is a need to deploy additional departures. Due to the large number of passengers waiting for the last bus of Route 970X, 8 buses were actually deployed on that day (with 5583/TC9853 being an additional bus). Eventually 5 buses departed at around 2am as the melodies of Auld Lang Syne rang, and arrived at Aberdeen at around 3:25am. 5550 was also deployed as a media bus, although it did not carry fare paying passengers.
At Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) Bus Terminus, NWFB and Citybus arranged 2 buses each on Route N8P respectively to depart before and after the merger of franchise at 4am, with the final service of NWFB ran with a Volvo B8L (5236/WU5195) which departed at 03:54; whereas the debut of the new Citybus franchise was ran with Enviro500 MMC 5805 (VY3785) which departed at 04:00. Around 5:00 am that day, after 5236 (WU5236) returned to Chong Fu Road Depot, Citybus Chief Operating Officer Richard Hall and Operations and Engineering Director Vincent Fung (馮家輝) covered its NWFB logo with the new Citybus logo, symbolising the end of NWFB branding.
Apart from routes 970X and N8P, the last scheduled bus of all NWFB regular routes was actually Route 9 from Shek O to Shau Kei Wan at 1:30am on the same day; however, the farewell crowds at both termini were way less than that of the former two routes.
Route H1B was also very popular on the last day, with many crowds waiting for the last NWFB departure and resulted in NWFB deploying 4 buses to carry these passengers.
Schedule of Routes Order[]
On 20 October 2023, the Government published in the Gazette the repealing of Schedule of Routes (New World First Bus Services Limited) Order 2022 and the Schedule of Routes (Citybus Limited) Order 2022 and to formally publish in the Gazette the Schedule of Routes (Citybus Limited) (Urban and New Territories Bus Network) Order 2023, which covered all the routes under the two Schedule of Routes Orders, and came into effect on 31 December of the same year.[29][30]
Ex-NWFB solely-operated routes[]
| Bus routes handed over to Citybus on 1 July 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ex-NWFB solely-operated non-cross-harbour routes | ||
| Bus routes | Termini[Remark 1] | Remarks |
| 1M | Exhibition Centre Station ↺ Wong Nai Chung Gap | |
| 2 | Grand Promenade ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 2A | Yiu Tung Estate ↔ Exhibition Centre Station | |
| 2X | Grand Promenade ↔ Exhibition Centre Station | |
| 3A | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Felix Villas | |
| 4 | Wong Chuk Hang ↔ Central (Exchange Square) | |
| 4X | Wah Fu (South) ↺ Central (Exchange Square) | |
| 8 | Heng Fa Chuen ↔ Exhibition Centre Station | |
| 8H | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↔ Tung Wah Eastern Hospital | |
| 8P | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↔ Exhibition Centre Station | |
| 9 | Shau Kei Wan ↔ Shek O | |
| 13 | Admiralty (Tamar Street) ↔ Kotewall Road (Mid-levels) | |
| 14 | Grand Promenade ↔ Stanley Fort (Gate) | |
| 15 | Central (Pier 5) ↔ The Peak | |
| 15B | Wan Chai_(HKCEC New Wing) ↔ The Peak | |
| 15C | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Garden Road (Peak Tram Station) | |
| 18 | North Point (Healthy Street Central) ↔ Kennedy Town (Belcher Bay) | |
| 18P | North Point (Healthy Street Central) ↔ Kennedy Town (Belcher Bay) | |
| 18X | Kennedy Town (Belcher Bay) ↔ Shau Kei Wan | |
| 23 | North Point Ferry Pier ↔ Pokfield Road | |
| 23B | Braemar Hill → Robinson Road | |
| 25 | Central (Pier 3) ↺ Braemar Hill | |
| 26 | Lai Tak Tsuen ↺ Hollywood Road | |
| 27 | North Point Ferry Pier ↺ Braemar Hill | |
| 27 | Cyberport ↔ Admiralty (East) | |
| 33X | Cyberport → Sai Wan Ho | |
| 38 | North Point Ferry Pier ↔ Chi Fu Fa Yuen | |
| 42 | North Point Ferry Pier ↔ Wah Fu (South) | |
| 42C | North Point Ferry Pier ↔ Cyberport | |
| 49X | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) → Cyberport | |
| 63 | North Point Ferry Pier ↔ Stanley Market | |
| 65 | North Point Ferry Pier ↔ Stanley Market | |
| 65 | Stanley Plaza (Ma Hang) ↔ Central (Exchange Square) | |
| 78 | Wong Chuk Hang ↺ Wah Kwai Estate | |
| 81 | Hing Wah Estate ↔ Lai Tak Estate | |
| 81A | Hing Wah Estate ↔ Lai Tak Estate | |
| 82 | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↔ North Point Ferry Pier | |
| 82S | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) → Yiu Tung (Wai Hang Street) | |
| 82X | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↺ Quarry Bay | |
| 88X | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↔ Kennedy Town (Belcher Bay) | |
| 91 | Ap Lei Chau Estate ↔ Central Ferry Piers | |
| 91A | Wah Fu (South) ↔ Ap Lei Chau Estate | |
| 93 | South Horizons/ Ap Lei Chau Estate → Robinson Road | |
| 93A | Lei Tung Estate → Robinson Road | |
| 94A | Wah Fu (Central) ↺ Lei Tung Estate | |
| 95 | Ap Lei Chau Estate ↺ Shek Pai Wan | Cancelled on 7 April 2024 |
| 595 | South Horizons ↺ Aberdeen | |
| 701 | Hoi Lai Estate ↺ Mong Kok | |
| 701A | Hoi Ying Estate ↺ Mong Kok | |
| 701S | Hoi Lai Estate ↺ Mong Kok | |
| 702 | Hoi Lai Estate ↺ Kowloon Tong (Festival Walk) | |
| 702A | Hoi Ying Estate → Pak Tin Estate | |
| 702B | Pak Tin (North) ↺ Hoi Ying Estate | |
| 702S | So Uk Estate ↺ Cheung Sha Wan (Sham Shing Road) | |
| 720 | Grand Promenade ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 720A | Grand Promenade → Admiralty (Admiralty Centre) | |
| 720P | Taikoo Shing ↺ Central (Wing Wo Street) | |
| 720X | Grand Promenade → Central (Rumsey Street) | |
| 722 | Yiu Tung Estate ↺ Central Ferry Piers | |
| 790 | Oscar By The Sea ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui (Mody Road) | |
| 792M | Tseung Kwan O Station ↔ Sai Kung | |
| 793 | Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate ↔ So Uk | |
| 795 | Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate ↔ Cheung Sha Wan (Hoi Tat) | |
| 795P | Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate ↔ Cheung Sha Wan (Hoi Tat) | Cancelled on 4 November 2024 |
| 795X | Oscar By The Sea ↔ So Uk | |
| 796P | LOHAS Park ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui (East) | |
| 796S | Tseung Kwan O Station ↺ Ngau Tau Kok Station | |
| 796X | Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui (East) | |
| 797 | LOHAS Park ↺ San Po Kong | Circular |
| 797M | Tseung Kwan O Station ↺ Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate | Cancelled on 25 September 2023 |
| 798 | Tiu Keng Leng Station ↔ Fo Tan (Chun Yeung Estate) | |
| 798A | Tseung Kwan O (Hong Sing Garden) → Sha Tin Station Sha Tin Central → Tseung Kwan O (Hong Sing Garden) |
|
| 798B | LOHAS Park → Sha Tin Station Sha Tin Central → LOHAS Park |
Cancelled on 4 November 2024 |
| 798P | Tai Wai Station ↔ Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate | |
| 798X | Fo Tan (Chun Yeung Estate) ↔ Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate | |
| N8 | Exhibition Centre Station ↺ Heng Fa Chuen | |
| N8P | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↺ Wan Chai (Harbour Road) | |
| N796 | LOHAS Park ↺ Mong Kok | |
| X9 | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Shek O | |
| X15 | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ The Peak | |
| Ex-NWFB solely-operated cross-harbour routes | ||
| 682 | Chai Wan (East) ↔ Ma On Shan (Wu Kai Sha Station) | |
| 682A | Ma On Shan Town Centre → Chai Wan (East) Chai Wan (East) → Nai Chung |
|
| 682B | Shui Chuen O Estate ↔ Chai Wan (East) | |
| 682C | City One Shatin → North Point | Cancelled on 19 August 2024 |
| 682P | Ma On Shan (Wu Kai Sha Station) → Chai Wan (East) | |
| 694 | Tiu Keng Leng Station ↔ Siu Sai Wan Estate | |
| 694S | Tiu Keng Leng Station ↔ Siu Sai Wan Estate | |
| 970 | Cyberport ↔ So Uk Estate | |
| 970X | Aberdeen ↔ Cheung Sha Wan (Kom Tsun Street) | |
| 971 | Aberdeen (Shek Pai Wan) ↔ Hoi Lai Estate | |
| 982C | Shek Mun Estate → Sai Wan Ho | |
| 988 | Nai Chung ↔ Chai Wan (East) | |
| H1 | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui | |
| H2 | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui | |
| X970 | South Horizons → Cheung Sha Wan (Kom Tsun Street) | |
Ex-NWFB and KMB jointly-operated routes[]
| Routes changed to be jointly operated by Citybus and KMB on 1 July 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bus route | Termini[Remark 1] | Remarks |
| 101 | Kennedy Town ↔ Kwun Tong (Yue Man Square) | |
| 101R | Happy Valley Racecourse → Kwun Tong (Yue Man Square) | |
| 101X | Kennedy Town ↔ Kwun Tong (Yue Man Square) | |
| 102R | Happy Valley Racecourse → Mei Foo | |
| 104 | Kennedy Town ↔ Sham Shui Po (Pak Tin Estate) | |
| 106 | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↔ Wong Tai Sin | |
| 106A | Wong Tai Sin → Tai Koo (Kornhill Plaza) | Only Citybus vehicles are dispatched in practice |
| 106P | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) ↔ Wong Tai Sin | |
| 109 | Ho Man Tin ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 110 | Shau Kei Wan ↺ Tsim Sha Tsui | |
| 111 | Ping Shek ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 111P | Choi Fook ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 112 | North Point (Pak Fuk Road) ↔ Cheung Sha Wan (So Uk Estate) | |
| 113 | Choi Hung ↔ Kennedy Town (Belcher Bay) | |
| 115 | Kowloon City Ferry ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 115P | Laguna Verde → Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 116 | Tsz Wan Shan (Central) ↔ Quarry Bay | |
| 302 | Tsz Wan Shan (North) → Sheung Wan | |
| 302A | Tsz Wan Shan (North) → North Point (Healthy Village) | |
| 601 | Po Tat ↔ Admiralty (East) | |
| 601P | Po Tat ↔ Sheung Wan | |
| 641 | Kai Tak (Kai Ching Estate) ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 680 | Lee On ↔ Admiralty (East) | |
| 680B | Chevalier Garden → Admiralty (East) | |
| 680P | Wu Kai Sha Station → Admiralty (East) | |
| 680X | Wu Kai Sha Station ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| 904 | Kennedy Town (Belcher Bay) ↔ Lai Chi Kok | |
| 905 | Lai Chi Kok ↔ Exhibition Centre Station | |
| 905A | Exhibition Centre Station → Lai Chi Kok | |
| 905P | Lai Chi Kok → Wan Chai (Harbour Road) | |
| 914 | Cheung Sha Wan (Hoi Lai Estate) ↔ Tin Hau Station | |
| 914P | Cheung Sha Wan (Hoi Lai Estate) → Tin Hau Station | Only KMB vehicles are dispatched in practice |
| 914X | Cheung Sha Wan (Hoi Lai Estate) → Tin Hau Station | |
| 948 | Tsing Yi (Cheung On Estate) ↔ Tin Hau Station | |
| 948A | Tsing Yi (Cheung On Estate) → Tin Hau Station | |
| 948B | Greenfield Garden → Tin Hau Station | |
| 948E | Tsing Yi Station ↔ Tai Koo (Kornhill Plaza) | |
| 948P | Tsing Yi (Cheung On Estate) → Tin Hau Station | |
| 948X | Tsing Yi (Cheung Wang Estate) → Tin Hau Station | |
| 980A | Shek Mun Estate → Wan Chai | |
| 980X | Wu Kai Sha Station → Wan Chai Admiralty (East) → Wu Kai Sha Station |
|
| 985 | Mei Tin (Mei Chi House) → Causeway Bay Admiralty (East) → Mei Tin |
|
| 985A | Mei Tin (Mei Chi House) → Causeway Bay | |
| 985B | Tai Wai (Tin Sam Village) → Causeway Bay | |
| N121 | Central (Macau Ferry) ↔ Ngau Tau Kok | |
| N122 | Shau Kei Wan ↔ Mei Foo | |
| N680 | Kam Ying Court ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
| N691 | Tiu Keng Leng ↔ Central (Macau Ferry) | |
Ex-NWFB non-regular routes[]
| Non-regular routes taken over by Citybus on 1 July 2023 or after | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ex-NWFB solely-operated non-cross-harbour routes | ||
| Bus route | Termini[Remark 1] | Remarks |
| 4S | Central Ferry Piers → Wong Chuk Hang | |
| 18R | Central Ferry Piers → Heng Fa Chuen | |
| 25R | Hong Kong Stadium → Central (Exchange Square) | |
| 38S | Causeway Bay (Hong Kong Central Library) → Chi Fu Fa Yuen | |
| 388 | Chai Wan Station ↺ Cape Collinson | |
| 389 | Shau Kei Wan ↺ Cape Collinson | |
| 796R | Hong Kong Coliseum → LOHAS Park | |
| X797 | Tiu Keng Leng Station ↔ Fire and Ambulance Services Academy | |
| Ex-NWFB solely-operated cross-harbour routes | ||
| 971R | Cyberport ↺ Mong Kok (Bute Street) | |
| H1B | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui | Cancelled on 3 July 2023 |
| H1S | Central (Star Ferry) ↔ Tsim Sha Tsui | |
| H2S | HSR West Kowloon Station Loading and Unloading Area → Central (City Hall) | |
| Ex-NWFB solely-operated cross-harbour routes | ||
| 104R | Central Pier 5 → Mong Kok (Bute Street) | |
| 111R | Wan Chai (HKCEC Extension) → Kwun Tong (Yue Man Square) | |
| 148R | Wan Chai (HKCEC Extension) → Tsing Yi (Cheung On) | |
| 191R | Wan Chai (HKCEC Extension) → LOHAS Park Station | |
| N116 | Quarry Bay/North Point (Healthy Gardens) ↔ Tsz Wan Shan (Central) | |
| N601 | Admiralty (East) → Po Tat | |
| R680 | Ma On Shan (Kam Ying Court) → Causeway Bay (Victoria Park) | |
| R948 | Cheung Wang → Causeway Bay (Victoria Park) | |
Bus Fleets[]
Conversion of Branding[]
NWFB fleets gradually had their vehicle licence converted from "Public Bus (NWFB)" into "Public Bus (Citybus)", however the logos were not changed at the same time. In mid-June 2023, staff began to cover NWFB logos on buses with the brand-new Citybus logos, with the sticker showing the NWFB logo and words "Operated by New World First Bus Services Limited" sticked beside the front door.
After the merger, all NWFB buses had the old logos replaced by the new Citybus logos and will gradually change to the new Citybus livery before mid-2025, with the old NWFB livery of former NWFB buses remain unchanged for a short term.
The Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus branding was inherited by Citybus and continued to provide service after the merger, which was later changed to provide service under the name of HK City Sightseeing a year after.
Bus Deployment Arrangements[]
After the franchise merger, in principle, Citybus and the former NWFB will not exchange buses in the short term, but will do so only when there are temporary redeployments or public relations arrangements. Subsequently, in view of the operational needs of some routes, some routes have started to exchange buses with each other.
Consolidation of bus equipments[]
To facilitate the flexible and efficient deployment of fleets, Citybus replaced the old side mirrors on Enviro200 MMC 10.7m (2501-2505) of ex-NWFB fleet and Young Man JNP6120GR 11.6m (1830-1845) of Citybus fleet with the new Britax side mirrors.[31]
From 3 November of the same year, Citybus replaced the side mirrors of Volvo B9TL 11.3m (45XX, 420XX) of former NWFB fleet with the new Ashtree side mirrors.[32]
However, the two side mirrors have not been favourably received, and there is no news about the replacement of the backward mirrors.
Consolidation of bus stops[]
To highlight Citybus' image after the reform, the bus stop sign was launched on 11 November. The design of the bus stop sign continues to use the classic "Citybus Yellow" as the main colour, with a huge Citybus "Ghoul" logo printed on the top of the stop sign. In addition, Citybus will also use colours to differentiate between ordinary, express and overnight routes on the route numbers to highlight the service functions of the routes: for example, black letters on a yellow background for ordinary routes, white letters on a dark blue background for express routes, and yellow letters on a black background for overnight routes. The new bus stop signs will first be adopted at the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange and will be extended to all Citybus bus stops.[33]
However, many members of the public have criticised the newly designed Citybus stop signs for a number of problems. Apart from the problem of clashing colours, the font sizes of important information such as route numbers and destinations are too small, making it difficult to read and identify them from a distance, and the addition of the word "platform" on the signboards has caused confusion to passengers.[34]
Unification and consolidation of fleet numbers[]
The fleet numbers of the original NWFB buses once remained unchanged after the franchise merger. To enhance fleet management efficiency, Citybus began unifying the fleet numbers of its fleet and adopted the whole-new five-digit fleet numbering system modelled after that in the UK, which is the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The fleet numbers will be changed one by one according to models.[35][36]
Below are the details on the fleet number consolidation:
| Comparison Table for new and old Citybus fleet numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus Model | Old Fleet No. | New Fleet No. | Remarks |
| 11XXX / 12XXX - Franchised single-decker diesel models | |||
| Enviro200 MMC 10.7m | 2501-2505 | 11000-11004 | |
| Young Man JNP6120GR 11.6m | 1830-1845 | 12000-12015 | |
| 2600-2607 | 12016-12023 | ||
| 16XXX - Franchised single-decker electric models | |||
| BYD K9R 11.6m | 1581-1583 2051-2052 |
16000-16002 16003-16004 |
|
| 31XXX - Franchised 10m double-decker diesel models (ADL) | |||
| Enviro400 10.4m | 7000-7059 | 31000-31059 | |
| Enviro400 10.4m Low Height | 3800-3859 | 31500-31559 | |
| 32XXX - Franchised 10m double-decker diesel models (Volvo) | |||
| Volvo B9TL 10.6m | 7500 | 32000 | |
| 40XXX - Non-franchised 11m double-decker diesel models | |||
| Enviro500 MMC 11.3m | 9100-9107 | 40000-40007 | |
| 41XXX - Franchised 11m double-decker diesel models (ADL) | |||
| Enviro500 11.3m | 4020-4039 | 41000-41019 | |
| Enviro500 MMC 11.3m | 9108-9148 4040-4051 |
41020-41060 41061-41072 |
|
| Enviro500 MMC Facelift 11.3m | 4052-4091 9149-9158 |
41073-41112 41113-41121 |
9151, 9153, 9154, 9156, 9157 changed to new fleet numbers before the licence was issued; 9152, 9155 changed to new fleet number one day after the issue of licence; 9158 has been resold to MTR Bus and is not in service with Citybus |
| 42XXX - Franchised 11m double-decker diesel models (Volvo) | |||
| Volvo B9TL 11.3m | 4500-4524 9500-9529 9530-9559 4525-4529 |
42000-42024 42025-42054 42055-42084 42085-42089 |
|
| 50XXX - Non-franchised 12m double-decker diesel models | |||
| Enviro500 12m | 8205-8235 | 50000-50030 | |
| Enviro500 12m Open-top | 26, 8204 | 50900-50901 | |
| 51XXX - Franchised 12m double-decker diesel models (ADL) | |||
| Enviro500 12m | 8128-8202 8240-8319 |
51000-51154 | |
| 5518-5549 5553-5554 5559-5573 5575-5576 5578-5580 |
51155-51189 51193-51208 |
5559-5562 have been converted to training buses and the new fleet numbers 51189-51192 originally reserved for the above buses will not be used | |
| Enviro500 MMC 12m | 8320-8353 | 51209-51242 | 8354, 8355 have been converted to open-top buses, and the new fleet numbers 51243, 51244 originally reserved for the above buses will not be in use |
| 8391-8399 8402-8449 8460-8483 8490 |
51245-51326 | ||
| 5720-5749 | 51327-51356 | ||
| 5583-5599 5601-5616 5623-5669 |
51357-51436 | ||
| 5840-5851 | 51437-51448 | ||
| 8450-8459 | 51449-51458 | ||
| 5617-5622 | 51459-51464 | ||
| Enviro500 MMC Facelift 12m | 5670-5719 | 51465-51514 | |
| 8537-8546 | 51515-51524 | ||
| 5750-5839 | 51525-51614 | ||
| 8547-8567 | 51615-51635 | ||
| Enviro500 MMC Hybrid 12m | 8400-8401 | 51900-51901 | Hybrid Bus |
| 5600 | 51902 | Hybrid Bus | |
| 52XXX - Franchised 12m double-decker diesel models (Volvo) | |||
| Volvo B9TL 12m | 5200-5224 | 52000-52024 | |
| Volvo B8L 12m | 5230-5236 | 52100-52106 | |
| 8806-8845 | 52107-52130 | 8830-8845 have been renumbered to new fleet numbers prior to licensing | |
| 53XXX - Franchised 12m double-decker diesel models (Any models with luggage racks installed) | |||
| Enviro500 MMC 12m | 8491-8506 | 53000-53015 | |
| 8484-8489 | 53016-53021 | ||
| Volvo B8L 12m | 8800-8805 | 53100-53105 | |
| Enviro500 MMC 12m | 8507-8524 | 53200-53217 | |
| Enviro500 MMC 12m (Cityflyer) |
8000-8065 | 53800-53865 | |
| 59XXX - Franchised 12m double-decker models (Other special models) | |||
| Scania K280UD 12m Diesel | 8900 | 59000 | |
| Weisheit WSD6121BR1EV 12m Electric | 8910 | 59100 | |
| Weisheit WSD6121BR3FCEV 12m Hydrogen-powered | - | 59200 | |
| Enviro500 12m Open-top Diesel (Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus) |
5550-5552 | 59900-59902 | |
| Enviro500 MMC 12m Open-top Diesel | 8354-8360 | 59903-59909 | |
| 61XXX - Franchised 12.8m double-decker diesel models (ADL) | |||
| Enviro500 MMC 12.8m | 6300 | 61000 | |
| Enviro500 MMC Facelift 12.8m | 6301, 6303, 6304 | 61001-61003 | |
| 6302, 6305-6425 | 61004-61125 | ||
| 6100-6197 | 61126-61223 | ||
| 6426-6443 | 61224-61241 | ||
| 6453-6459 | 61242-61248 | ||
| 6198-6209 | 61249-61260 | ||
| 6491-6499, 6700-6701 | 61261-61271 | ||
| 62XXX - Franchised 12.8m double-decker diesel models (Volvo) | |||
| Volvo B9TL 12.8m | 6500 | 62000 | |
| 63XXX - Franchised 12m double-decker diesel models (Any models with luggage racks installed) | |||
| Enviro500 MMC Facelift 12.8m | 6444-6447, 6449-6452 | 63000-63007 | |
| 6460-6490 | 63008-63038 | ||
| 6501-6567 | 63200-63266 | ||
| 6568-6583 | 63267-63282 | ||
| 6584-6588 | 63283-63287 | ||
| Enviro500 MMC Facelift 12.8m (Cityflyer) |
6800-6836 | 63800-63836 | |
| 6837-6843, 6844-6849, 6851-6871 | 63837-63870 | ||
| 69XXX - Franchised 12m double-decker models (Other special models) | |||
| MAN A95 12.8m | 6090 | 69000 | |
Related Pictures[]
Official Website, Social Media and Mobile App[]
Since 31 May 2023 when Citybus announced its new image, the original NWFB and Citybus official website has been unified as URL www.citybus.com.hk, and the new Citybus logo has been gradually adopted across various online platforms. On 7 June 2023, the NWFB Citybus App was officially renamed as the "Citybus App" and the "NWFB" name was removed after a software update. In 28 June 2023, the facebook page was renamed from "新巴城巴 NWFB and Citybus" into "城巴 Citybus".
Related Articles[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ "Bravo Transport Announces the Combination of Citybus and NWFB Franchises into the Newly Created Citybus F3 Franchise", Bravo Navigator, December 2022, p.4-5.
- ↑ "新巴將壟斷港島線與九巴分庭抗禮 鄭裕彤22億併購城巴" (NWFB to monopolise HK Island routes: Henry Cheng acquired Citybus at a price of HK$2.2b) and "鄭家純：年内不裁員" (Henry Cheng: No layoffs within a year), Ta Kung Pao, 10 June 2003.
- ↑ "鄭裕彤獨吞港島線巴士 22億收購城巴 擬新巴與合併" (Cheng Yu-tung to monopolise HK Island bus market: acquiring Citybus at price of HK$2.2b, proposed to merge with NWFB), Sing Pao, 10 June 2003.
- ↑ "新巴兼併城巴議員恐壟斷 研究合併 乘客怕搭貴車" (NWFB acquring Citybus and propsed merger feared to be monopolisation by LegCo members, prices may be higher in the future), Ming Pao, 10 June 2003.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "鄭裕彤22億收購城巴 合併新巴需政府審批" (Cheng Yu-tung acquired Citybus at price of HK$2.2b; merger with NWFB need approval from government), Sun Post, 10 June 2003.
- ↑ "鐵路搶客 巴士步向沒落" (Railway expansion causing decline of buses), Apple Daily, 10 June 2003.
- ↑ "鄭裕彤22億鯨吞城巴" (Cheng Yu-tung swallowed up Citybus with HK$2.2b), Oriental Daily News, 10 June 2003.
- ↑ HKSARG, "Transcript of SETW's meet-the-media session" [News Release], 9 June 2003.
- ↑ "新巴乘客量回復9成", (NWFB patronage resumed to 90%) , Hong Kong Commercial Daily, 6 July 2003.
- ↑ "新創建周大福擬組公司併兩巴" (NWS and Chow Tai Fook to form company merging NWFB and Citybus), Apple Daily, 6 July 2003.
- ↑ "新巴城巴不合併" (No merger for NWFB and Citybus), Oriental Daily News, 4 October 2003.
- ↑ "新巴城巴「合併」 削路線不減價" (NWFB and Citybus to merge in another form, routes reduced but no fare reductions), Sing Pao, 10 December 2003.
- ↑ "相同路綫新巴車費貴 學者促減價回饋市民" (Same routes but NWFB fares higher: scholars urged for fare reduction to rebate the public), Sing Tao Daily, 10 December 2003.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "首認研合併 最快明年有定案" (First admittance to studying merger of NWFB and Citybus: finalised plan to roll out next year), Sing Tao Daily, 17 May 2021.
- ↑ "新巴城巴管理層首認研兩巴合併 統一票價或致部分票價大增成障礙" (NWFB and Citybus management admitted to have studying merger for first time: unified fares may cause partial fare increase creating obstacles), HK01, 17 May 2021.
- ↑ Citybus Limited & New World First Bus Services Limited, 新巴最後新路線694S啟航 復刻版車身回味廿五載歲月 [News Release], 13 Mar 2023. (Chinese only)
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Citybus Updates Brand Image for Franchise Merger" [News Release], 31 May 2023.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "First Day Operations for the New Citybus Franchise Delivered Successfully Serving the City with Increased Flexibility" [News Release], 1 July 2023.
- ↑ Citybus Limited & New World First Bus Services Limited, 新巴最後新路線694S啟航 復刻版車身回味廿五載歲月 [News Release], 13 Mar 2023. (Chinese only)
- ↑ [橫額廣告] 新廣告 : 感謝新巴服務25載 ([Banner Advertisements] New advertisement: Thank you for 25 years of NWFB service), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 NWFB and Citybus Facebook page post
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 nwfb_citybus Instagram page post
- ↑ Citybus Limited & New World First Bus Services Limited, "Free Ride Day on Route 25 Thanking for your 25 Years of Companionship" [News Release], 2 May 2023.
- ↑ 新巴城巴 NWFB and Citybus Facebook page post
- ↑ nwfb_citybus Instagram page post
- ↑ But according to observations at LOHAS Park, passengers of Route 797 were also distributed with keychains.
- ↑ Citybus Limited & New World First Bus Services Limited, "NWFB Launches “Farewell to NWFB” Special Route H1B" [News Release], 12 May 2023.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Our Colleagues Welcome a Bright Future Following the Merger and Bid Farewell to 25-Years of History" [News Release], 30 June 2023.
- ↑ L.N. 137 of 2023: Schedule of Routes (New World First Bus Services Limited) Order 2022 (Repeal) Order
- ↑ L.N. 132 of 2023: Schedule of Routes (Citybus Limited) (Urban and New Territories Bus Network) Order 2023
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "專營權合併：分階段更換巴士側鏡" (Franchise Merger: Phased Replacement of Bus Side Mirrors) [Staff Notice], 13 July 2023.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "測試新款巴士側鏡" (Testing of New Bus Side Mirrors) [Staff Notice], 2 November 2023.
- ↑ 【🚏城巴新站牌隆重登場✨】, "城巴 Citybus" facebook page.
- ↑ "網上熱話｜城巴新站牌被批號碼難睇 網民斥設計倒退：似驗眼尋寶" (Online hot topic: New design of Citybus stop sign criticised for difficult viewing; netizens slammed it a backward step and appearance like treasure hunts), am730, 17 September 2024.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "專營權合併 - 新車隊編號系統" ("Franchise Merger - New Fleet Numbering System") [Staff Notice], 29 September 2023.
- ↑ 城巴車隊編號更改消息 (Citybus fleet numbering changes), hkitalk.net.
External Links[]
- Bravo Transport Services Limited, Bravo Transport Announces the Merger of Citybus and NWFB Franchises into the Newly Created Citybus (Franchise for Urban and New Territories Network) [News Release], 12 July 2022.
- HKSARG, Executive Council grants three new bus franchises [Press Release], 12 July 2022.
2023 NWFB and Citybus Franchised Bus Network Merger, Merger of Citybus and NWFB, Merger of NWFB and Citybus and One Citybus (slogan)
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