The Hong Kong Island Mid-Levels Bus Route 12A is operated by Citybus. It runs between Admiralty (Tamar Street) and McDonnell Road, observing Admiralty (Tamar Street) Central Terminus, and additionally observing MTR Central Station in the direction of Admiralty, and operates in an unlimited circular route basis.
In short, passengers traveling from Central to Macdonnell Road can board a bus bound for Admiralty, where passengers do not need to get off the bus after it arrives at the Admiralty terminus and can stay on the bus and wait for the bus to leave again for Macdonnell Road. There is no need to transfer during this period and to pay the fare again.
Citybus re-operated this route in September 1991, making it the first franchised route on Hong Kong Island not operated by China Motor Bus (CMB) since regional franchise was implemented in 1933. Citybus has also joined the ranks of franchised bus companies by operating this route.
History[]
CMB Era[]
- 16 December 1961: China Motor Bus commenced Route 12A, running between Central (Star Ferry) and MacDonnell Road.
- 14 November 1970: In conjunction with the opening of Cotton Tree Drive to traffic, the direction of Macdonald Road was diverted to this road instead of Garden Road.[1]
- 11 September 1972: The terminus was moved from Star Ferry Pier to Central Bus Terminal.[2]
- 30 December 1973: From 8:00am, Central-bound bues were diverted via Queen Victoria Street instead of Jubilee Street to accommodate the interchange of traffic direction between the two streets.[3]
- 5 September 1982: Changed to only provide services from early morning to evening on weekdays; the service on holidays was provided by the new special service of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 1 (now Route 1A) instead.[4]
- 8 October 1982: In conjunction with the implementation of the priority road use plan for public transport in Central, buses towards Central were diverted via Des Voeux Road Central instead of Queen's Road Central.[5]
- 1 February 1985: Due to part of the car pits of the Central Terminus being requisitioned for the construction of Exchange Square, the Terminus was moved to Star Ferry Pier.
- 3 March 1986: Central terminus was relocated to Central (Exchange Square) Terminal in conjunction with the opening of the new terminus.[6]
- June 1987: Service was canceled due to low ridership. Two months later, the special service of Hong Kong Island GMB Route 1 via MacDonnell Road was upgraded to a full-day service every day and split into Route 1A.
Citybus Era[]
Citybus took note of CMB's discontinued routes 12A and 17, believing that residents in the MacDonnell Road area are relatively affluent and would demand high-quality bus services.[7] Then in September 1989, Citybus expressed their intention to re-operate Route 12A to the Central and Western District District Council. After obtaining the approval of the District Council, the relevant application was formally submitted to the government at the end of the year.[8]
In late November of the same year, negotiations between CMB's labour and management on the pension issue broke down, and the labour decided to launch a general strike on 30 November. During the morning rush hour that day, there were no minibuses operating on Hong Kong Island, and traffic was paralysed. Among them, Southern District became the hardest hit area, and Ap Lei Chau, which was a Public Light Bus Restricted Area, was particularly hard hit. The residents on the island were miserable; it was emerging at the time and Citybus, which was still a non-franchised bus operator, had launched a temporary bus route to and from Ap Lei Chau for emergency purposes, which has since won the hearts of the people.
After the industrial action ended, the government began to rectify bus services on Hong Kong Island. In early 1991, the Governor together with the Executive Council decided that bidding by companies of the same industry for bus franchises should be allowed to improve service quality, increase efficiency and implement innovation through healthy competition.[9] To this end, the Transport Department selected the Route 12A cancelled by CMB years ago as a pilot project, and published a public tender on 19 April to undertake the project on the franchised bus route between MacDonnell Road and Central.[10] In addition to Citybus, which proposed to resume operation, a total of five companies including Yau Fung Bus, Kwoon Chung Motors, Argos Bus and Tai Fung Coach entered the bidding;[11]KMB also prepared a proposal for this, but ultimately changed its mind and gave up participating in the bidding.[7]
After selection, Citybus won the route franchise and re-launched it on 11 September 1991. The numbering used in the CMB era was 12A,[12] and operated on a circular basis between Old Macau Ferry and MacDonnell Road, and observes Admiralty for both trips. Citybus has also dispatched Leyland Olympians to run on all routes, and also added monthly passes priced at $180.
- 11 September 1991: Route 12A was re-opened, allowing Citybus to launch its franchised bus business.
- To solemnise the event, Citybus specially held a debut ceremony on the opening day, with the AEC Routemaster Open Top Bus (1/HK1931) leading a Leyland Olympian 11M (176/EW9231) to operate on the departure concerned.[13]
- 15 February 1993: Central terminus was moved to Connaught Road Central near Guangdong Investment Tower, with monthly tickets cancelled and changed the applicable time of concessionary fare to non-peak hours from Monday to Friday, as well as whole day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- 30 June 1994: Terminus was moved from Central to Admiralty (Tamar Street), and detours via Central were only made available in the direction of Admiralty, and lowered the full fare during peak hours.
- The above changes were planned to be implemented on 7 May 1994, but the implementation was temporarily suspended due to strong opposition from residents along the route.
- 27 January 1997: Departures after 20:55 every day were detoured via the Garden Road Peak Tram Station (now called Tramway Lane) with an additional intermediate stop in the direction of Admiralty.
- 1 December 1997: Concessionary fares during weekday off-peak hours and holidays were cancelled
- 29 December 1997: Octopus payment was accepted on the entire route.[14]
- 1 February 2000: Daily departures after 20:55 no longer detoured into the Garden Road Peak Tram Station Branch to coordinate with the launch of Route 12S.
- 15 April 2001: Return trips no longer stopped at "Murray Road" stop to improve the traffic situation in Central.[15]
- 16 August 2005: Octopus interchange concessions with Route R11 was introduced.[16]
- February 2011: An additional special service from Admiralty (Tamar Street) to Kennedy Heights was introduced every Mondays to Fridays, departing at 08:46.[17]
- 7 October 2013: All special services terminating at Kennedy Heights were changed to only provide services on school days from Monday to Friday.
- 1 June 2016: "Next Bus" Arrival Time Inquiry Service was introduced on this route.[18]
- 17 July 2017: Special service to Kennedy Heights was cancelled, and an express service was introduced every Monday to Friday morning, departing from Admiralty and follow the original routing to MacDonnell Road, and return to Garden Road, taking the Garden Road flyover and Queensway directly after the "St. John's Cathedral" stop to return to the terminus without observing Central.[19][20]
- 13 June 2022: Service hours of express trips not passing through Central was extended.
Historical route information[]
Details of the past service hours and headways, fares and other route information of this route are set out in the "Historical route information" sub-page of this article.
Service Hours and Headways[]
The latest update is on 6/2022, please refer to the link below for the official route information.
| From Admiralty (Tamar Street) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Hours | Headways (mins) (mins) |
Service Hours | Headways (mins) (mins) |
| Mondays to Fridays (school days) |
Mondays to Fridays (school holidays) | ||
| 06:50 | |||
| ② 06:56 - 07:02 | ② 6 | ② 06:56 - 07:02 | ② 6 |
| ② 07:02 - 07:10 | ② 4 | ② 07:02 - 07:10 | ② 8 |
| 07:14 | |||
| ② 07:17 - 07:20 | ② 3 | ② 07:18 - 07:34 | ② 8 |
| ② 07:20 - 07:32 | ② 4 | ||
| ② 07:32 - 07:35 | ② 3 | ||
| 07:38 | |||
| ② 07:41 - 07:51 | ② 4／6 | ② 07:42 - 07:58 | ② 8 |
| ② 07:51 - 07:58 | ② 7 | ||
| 08:03 | |||
| ② 08:08 - 08:24 | ② 8 | ② 08:08 - 08:24 | ② 8 |
| 08:28 | |||
| ② 08:34 - 08:42 | ② 8 | ② 08:34 - 08:42 | ② 8 |
| 08:50 | |||
| ② 08:54 - 09:05 | ② 11 | ② 08:54 - 09:05 | ② 11 |
| 09:15 | |||
| ② 09:30 | |||
| 09:45 - 17:00 | 15 | 09:45 - 17:00 | 15 |
| 17:00 - 19:40 | 16 | 17:00 - 19:40 | 16 |
| 19:40 - 20:10 | 15 | 19:40 - 20:10 | 15 |
| 20:10 - 20:27 | 17 | 20:10 - 20:27 | 17 |
| 20:27 - 22:57 | 25 | 20:27 - 22:57 | 25 |
| 22:57 - 23:20 | 23 | 22:57 - 23:20 | 23 |
| 23:20 - 24:00 | 20 | 23:20 - 24:00 | 20 |
| ②: Express trips omitting Central, which will head straight to Admiralty (Tamar Street) terminus after stopping at St. John's Cathedral. | |||
| Saturdays | |
|---|---|
| Service Hours | Headways (mins) |
| 06:50 - 07:00 | 10 |
| 07:00 - 09:30 | 12／13 |
| 09:30 - 20:00 | 15 |
| 20:00 - 23:20 | 25 |
| 23:20 - 00:00 | 20 |
| Sundays and Public Holidays | |
| ③ 06:55 - 07:15 | ③ 20 |
| ③ 07:15 - 20:00 | ③ 15 |
| ③ 20:00 - 23:20 | ③ 25 |
| ③ 23:20 - 00:00 | ③ 20 |
| ③: Bus stops "Chater House" and "Statue Square" on Chater Road are cancelled for all trips on Sundays and Public Holidays and are replaced by the bus stop "Jardine House" on Connaught Road Central. | |
| Detailed Departure Timetable |
|---|
|
Citybus Route 12A/Detailed Timetable |
- This route provides "Next Bus" Arrival Time Enquiry Service.
Fares[]
| Journey/Boarding Stop | Fares |
|---|---|
| Full Fare | $5.6 |
| Fare Remarks |
|---|
|
Bus-Bus Interchange Concession Schemes[]
Passengers using the same Octopus card or account of the same electronic payment instrument to interchange to the designated route after this route within a specific time, or transfer from the designated route to this route can enjoy an interchange concession. The details are as follows: (Half discount for children and senior citizens.) Template:Citybus Route 12A Interchange Concession Scheme
New Territories West Cross-Harbour Routes Interchange Scheme[]
Template:Citybus New Territories West Cross-Harbour Routes Interchange Scheme
Bus Deployments[]
Due to the height restrictions at Kennedy Road Peak Tram Bridge, this route is normally served by Young Man JNP6120GR 11.6m (1830-1845) and Enviro200 MMC 10.7m (2501-2505) single-decker buses only.
Bus Deployment Evolution History[]
| Bus Deployment Evolution History of Citybus Route 12A |
|---|
|
In the early years of Citybus operations, this route was mainly operated by Leyland Olympian 10.4/11 metres (1XX-238). The Volvo B6LE (13XX) and Dennis Dart (14XX) single-decker buses were introduced to provide more frequent services, and the larger MAN NL262 (15XX) was introduced in 1998, and became the mainstay of the route until 2015 when it was fully retired and replaced by Young Man JNP6105GR 10.5 metres (1810-1825) and the same JNP6120GR 11.6-metre (1830-1845) single-decker buses. With the 2023 Citybus and NWFB Franchised Bus Network Merger, the former NWFB's Enviro200 MMC 10.7 metres (2501-2505) are also becoming popular on this route. |
Routing[]
The distance of this route is approx. 4.7km, and the journey time is approximately 27mins. (The average speed is 10.4km/h.)
| Routing | Roads observed |
| ① Regular |
Tamar Street, Harcourt Road, Cotton Tree Drive, Garden Road, MacDonnell Road, Kennedy Road, Garden Road, Queen's Road Central, Pedder Street, Chater Road, Murray Road, Queensway and Tamar Street |
|---|---|
| ②# Weekday AM omit Central |
..., Garden Road, Queensway and Tamar Street |
| ③* Holidays omit Chater Road |
..., Queen's Road Central, Pedder Street, Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road, Cotton Tree Drive, ... |
| Citybus Route 12A (Admiralty (Tamar Street) ↺ MacDonnell Road) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus Stop Name | Remarks |
| 1 | Admiralty | Tamar Street | Admiralty (Tamar Street)  |
|
| 2 | Cotton Tree Drive | Hong Kong Park | near Garden Road Peak Tram Terminus | |
| 3 | Mid-levels | MacDonnell Road | YWCA | Circular route return point near St. John Ambulance |
| 4 | Tramway Path | |||
| 5 | St. Paul's Co-educational College | |||
| 6 | Dragon View | |||
| 7 | Office of The PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |||
| 8 | Kennedy Road | Hong Kong Park | ||
| 9 | St. Joseph's College | |||
| 10 | Kennedy Heights | |||
| 11 | Central | Garden Road | St. John's Cathedral | |
| 12 * | Queen's Road Central | HSBC Main Building | 平日早上走線②班次不適用 | |
| 13 * | Pedder Street | Pedder Street
| ||
| 14 *# | Chater Road | Chater House |
Not applicable to weekday AM departures using Routing ② and holiday departures using Routing ③ | |
| 15 ＊# | Statue Square
| |||
| # | Central | Connaught Road Central | Jardine House |
Applicable to holiday departures using Routing ③ Not applicable to other departures |
| 16 | Admiralty | Tamar Street | Admiralty (Tamar Street) |
Passengers who wish to continue their journeys can normally wait on board for a short while |
Ridership[]
There are quite a number of student passengers on Route 12A during school hours, but there is also a Hong Kong Island GMB Route 1A on MacDonnell Road connecting Admiralty and Central, which has thinned the passenger base and has been criticised by the residents for failing to cope with the demand. [23]
According to the District Council's papers, the patronage of this route is as follows:
- 2022: According to a site inspection on 1 June, the average occupancy rate during peak hours on weekday mornings was about 54%. Some passengers were not able to board the buses due to buses being full, but all waiting passengers were able to board the buses departing later within 7 minutes. [21]
- 2023: The average occupancy rate of about 46% during 7:00 am to 9:00 am in a field survey in early September, and about 32% during 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the middle of the same month at the Admiralty (Tamar Street) Bus Terminus. [22]
Related Incidents[]
Bus Accidents[]
- 4 January 2012: A MAN NL262 (1555/HU8151) heading for MacDonnell Road was stopped at Hong Kong Park on Cotton Tree Drive when a seven-passenger vehicle of the neighbouring lane lost control of its tyres and crashed into the rear of the bus, sending the driver of the seven-passenger vehicle and the two passengers on board the bus to hospital with injuries. [23]
- 16 July 2015: At around 8:00am, a MAN NL262 (1548/HU9297) bound for MacDonnell Road collided with a coach bus when leaving the stop atTamar Street, injuring two passengers. [24]
Movie filming[]
- Between November 2012 and 1 February 2013: The film "Storm" was shot by a film company, using a retired Volvo B6LE (1347/HV4509) with a sign display of this route for the shooting of a police shootout and explosion scene at Pedder Street, Central.
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
Related Articles[]
- Citybus Route 12S (Cancelled)
- Citybus Route 15C
- Citybus Route 626 (Cancelled)
- Hong Kong Island GMB Route 1A
- Hong Kong Island GMB Route 9
References[]
- ↑ "紅棉路今日通車 半山區四巴士綫行車路綫略更改" (Cotton Tree Drive opens to traffic today, the route of the four bus Route in Mid-levels slightly changed), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 14 November 1970.
- ↑ "中區新建巴士總站 明晨六時實行啟用" (New bus terminal in Central District opens at 6am tomorrow), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 10 September 1972.
- ↑ "中區今天起交通新措施 十綫巴士改道" (New traffic measures in Central District: 10 bus routes rerouted starting from today), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 30 December 1973.
- ↑ "中巴十二號A取消晚間及假日服務" (CMB Route No. 12A cancels evening and holiday services), Ta Kung Pao, September 4, 1982.
- ↑ "公共交通優先使用道路計劃 港島中區本週實施 多綫巴士改道行駛" (Public Transport Priority Programme: Several bus routes to be diverted in Central District this week), Wah Kiu Yat Po, October 4, 1982.
- ↑ "南區中巴多線 下周起作調整 包括四十七線九十M線九十二線等 多線巴士加班及延長服務時間" (Adjustments made to multiple CMB routes in the Southern District starting next week, including extended service hours for buses on multiple Routes including Routes 47, 90M, 92, etc.), Ta Kung Pao, 1 March 1986.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Financial Insight (Hong Kong: Television Broadcasts Limited, 19 May 1991 (Chinese)).
- ↑ "半山區豪華巴士綫 城巴申請開辦區議會表贊成 冷氣五十座位單程車費三元" (Luxury bus route in Mid-Levels District: Citybus applies for opening and district council expresses approval, air-conditioned 50-seat one-way fare $3), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 6 November 1989.
- ↑ Public Bus Services Ordinance (page 2050), Official Records of Legislative Council Proceedings, 10 July 1991.
- ↑ G.N. 1370: Public Bus Services Ordinance (Cap. 230): Tenders for Franchise to Operate Bus Services to and from MacDonnell Road and Central, Hong Kong Government Gazette, Vol. 133, No. 16, 19 April 1991
- ↑ Legislative Council Brief: Public Bus Services Ordinance (Chapter 230) Award of Franchise to Operate a Bus Service Between Macdonnell Road and Central
- ↑ "由中環至半山麥當奴道 城巴首條專利線昨通車" (First franchised bus route of Citybus on MacDonnell Road between Central and Mid-levels commenced service yesterday), Ta Kung Pao, 12 September 1991.
- ↑ Historical pictures provided by Citybus, posted on the "40 Years Crafting Travel Moments" website
- ↑ Citybus website
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Central District Bus Stop Reorganisation" [Traffic Advice].
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Citybus To Introduce Four New Routes to HK Disneyland & Offer Free Interchange between 23 HK Island Routes and Route R11" [News Release], 14 August 2005.
- ↑ "運輸署回覆：要求12A巴士特別班次獨立於正常班次時間表" (Transport Department’s reply: Demand to introduce 12A special departures independent from the normal bus timetable), Central and Western District Transport Committee Document No. 49/2013 - Attachment II.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Citybus Offers Additional Fare Concessions “Next Bus” Arrival Time Enquiry Service Trial begins on 8 routes" [Press Release], 20 May 2016.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Route 12A Provision of Morning Peak Express Service" [Passenger Notice], 13 July 2017.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Route 12A Introduction of Morning Peak Rapid Service [Passenger Notice], 26 July 2017.
- ↑ The Secretariat of the Central and Western District Council, "改善麥當勞道的公共交通服務" Improvement of public transport services at MacDonnell Road(), Central and Western District Council Traffic and Transport Committee Paper No. 10/2022 - Annex II, June 2022
- ↑ The Secretariat of the Central and Western District Council, "關注山頂及半山區交通問題" (Concern about traffic problems at the Peak and mid-levels), Central and Western District Council Traffic and Transport Committee Paper No. 31/2023 - Annex II, September 2023
- ↑ "大唐主席座駕撞巴士尾" (Motorcade of Datang Telecom chairman hit the rear end of a bus), Sun Post, 5 January 2012.
- ↑ "金鐘巴士旅巴相撞 剷上行人路釀2傷" (Coach bus collided with a bus at Admiralty, shovelling onto pavement injuring 2), on.cc, 16 June 2015.
External Links[]
Template:Pig-CBNW
Template:List of Central and Western District Bus Routes