The Kowloon Urban Bus Route 702 is operated by Citybus. It runs between Hoi Lai Estate and Kowloon Tong (Festival Walk), via MTR Nam Cheong Station, Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei.
Despite the designation of this route as a circular service in theSchedule of Routes Order, certain bus captains insist that passengers alight upon reaching Festival Walk or pay again, and some will even switch off the engine immediately to urge all passengers off, and therefore many has regarded it as a two-way route.
History[]
New route demanded for the new Four Little Dragons[]
The franchised bus routes in the West Kowloon New Area secured by New World First Bus (NWFB) in 2002 included a service connecting the new district with the established Sham Shui Po area. This facilitated residents' access to the bustling Sham Shui Po District and transported pupils to schools in the new district. Two primary schools on Sham Shing Road in the new district (Lai Chi Kok Catholic Primary School and Sham Shui Po Government Primary School) commenced operations in September of the same year, collectively enrolling over one thousand pupils. Both school premises are encircled by the construction sites of the "West Kowloon Four Little Dragons" (namely, Banyan Garden, Liberté, The Pacifica and AquaMarine – four major residential estates). with no bus routes whatsoever serving the vicinity. Pupils expressed dissatisfaction that the authorities had failed to provide adequate transport arrangements for the school district; however, the Education and Manpower Bureau claimed that over 80% of pupils at both schools travelled by school buses. The schools had written to Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) requesting bus services, and KMB had responded that it was considering introducing new routes, though the proposal remained under review.[1] Ultimately, the first bus route to serve the new district was operated by NWFB.
- 17 March 2003: The NWFB West Kowloon Route, 702, entered service, running circular between So Uk Estate and Cheung Sha Wan (West Kowloon New Area).[2][3]
One route linking old Sham Shui Po with West Rail[]
The KCR West Rail commenced operations in December 2003, with this route passing through Nam Cheong Station, the then West Rail's terminus in Kowloon. KCRC collaborated with NWFB to introduce the inaugural "Free Bus-Rail Interchange Scheme" where passengers holding an Octopus Card, West Rail Monthly Pass or West Rail Discovery Pass could interchange to routes 701 and 702 free of charge.[4] This interchange concession successfully boosted ridership on these routes, benefiting an average of 3,100 passengers daily by 2006.[5]
- 22 August 2004: Changed to run circular between Cheung Sha Wan (West Kowloon New Area) and Dragon Centre, omitting So Uk; meanwhile, interchange concessions with West Rail was launched jointly by KCR and NWFB.[6][7]
Growing with Hoi Lai from its intake[]
Hoi Lai Estate, situated in the West Kowloon New Area, saw its residents move in gradually from early 2005, prompting enhanced services on this route. At that time, New World First Bus deployed four buses to operate the route, with services running every 12 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak periods. A transfer concession was also introduced. However, entering 2007, various concessions between the West Rail and this route underwent significant revisions following the conclusion of the Discovery Pass free interchange promotion period. Towards the end of October, on the eve of the rail merger, KCRC and NWFB informed the Government that the bus-rail interchange concessions would cease the day before the merger, with the monthly pass free transfer concession also terminating simultaneously. Consequently, these arrangements failed to transition into the MTR era.
- 9 May 2005: Terminus was relocated from Banyan Garden to Hoi Lai Estate, and Octopus interchange concessions with routes 796C, 970 and 970X were introduced.[8][9]
- 16 December 2006: Detoured via So Uk during daytime non-peak hours.[10]
- 1 January 2007: The free interchange arrangement for West Rail Discovery Pass on this route was cancelled.
- 1 December 2007: Interchange concession with KCR West Rail was cancelled.[11]
New chapter by replacing minibuses[]
Two Kowloon green minibus routes, 10A and 10M, had been operating at a loss for an extended period and their operator, Tin Shing Motors, decided in early 2011 to cease operations from 7 July. Upon receiving the discontinuation notice, the Transport Department immediately sought other minibus operators in the district to provide replacement services. However, by the application deadline of 3 June, no operator had expressed interest. Concurrently, Jetland Limited, the operator of Route 75 in the same district, expressed willingness to acquire this group of routes and continue service provision but ultimately, the deal fell through due to Tin Shing's excessive asking price. Consequently, Tin Shing ceased operation of these two minibus routes as scheduled on 7 July.
To fill the service gap left by the discontinued green minibuses between Sham Shui Po District and Shek Kip Mei, Tai Hang Tung and Yau Yat Chuen, and to address district councillors' requests for converting Route 702A to full-day operation, the Transport Department and NWFB negotiated and decided to significantly reroute Route 702 as compensation. To accommodate the route extension, NWFB has redeployed one bus from Route 701 to this route, with slight adjustments to the frequency of both routes. Concurrently, Route 796C has introduced a two-way section fare to compensate for the loss of short-working services in the Cheung Sha Wan area following the route diversion.
- 5 July 2011: Circular operation was cancelled and was changed to operate as a two-way route between Hoi Lai Estate and Yau Yat Tsuen (Festival Walk):[12][13]
- Rerouted via Un Chau Street and Pratas Street towards Castle Peak Road for Yau Yat Tsuen direction, omitting Nam Cheong Station Public Transport Interchange, Cheung Sha Wan Road and Tonkin Street;
- The arrangement of detouring via So Uk during daytime non-peak hours was cancelled;
- The full fare was raised from $3.4 to $3.7 with a new $3.3 section fare from Yen Chow Street to Hoi Lai Estate introduced.
However, NWFB's decision was made rather hastily, causing dissatisfaction among some passengers. As the route no longer passed through Tonkin Street but instead stopped at Pratas Street, district councillors from the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood and the Democratic Party in Sham Shui Po received numerous complaints from residents of Hoi Lai Estate. They stated that they could no longer travel directly to the Po On Road area, while the Castle Peak Road area had also lost direct bus services back to Hoi Lai Estate and the West Kowloon Four Little Dragons after the diversion. Consequently, the route was revised again within less than two months.
- 20 August 2011: Converted again to circular operation with Yau Yat Tsuen as circular point, and meanwhile the following changes were implemented:[14][15]
- Resumed serving Cheung Sha Wan Road and Tonkin Street for Yau Yat Tsuen direction, omitting Un Chau Street and Pratas Street;
- The bus stops at Shek Kip Mei were re-organised, with bus stops at Tai Hang Tung Road near Man Hing House Tai Hang Tung Estate for Yau Yat Tsuen direction as well as that on Woh Chai Street near Block 20 Shek Kip Mei Estate being cancelled and a new stops was added on Woh Chai Street near Man Lok House Tai Hang Sai New Estate.
- 29 September 2012: The en-route stop at Fu Cheong Estate on Sham Mong Road for Yau Yat Tsuen direction was relocated backward to outside Fu Cheong Estate Carpark, and the en-route stop on Castle Peak Road near Precious Blood Hospital was cancelled.
- 1 July 2013: Octopus interchange concessions with routes 970, 970X and Citybus Route A21 were introduced with the extension of NWFB's franchise.[16]
- 25 September 2017: The en-route stop on Yen Chow Street near Sham Shui Po Police Station was cancelled and was replaced by an en-route stop located at Sham Shui Po (Yen Chow Street) Bus Terminus.
- 15 December 2017: "Next Bus" Arrival Time Inquiry Service was introduced on this route.[17]
- 1 July 2023: Changed to be operated by Citybus following the Citybus and NWFB Franchised Bus Network Merger.
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 7/2022, please refer to the link below for the official route information.
| From Hoi Lai Estate | |
|---|---|
| Service hours | Headways (mins) |
| Monday to Friday school days | |
| 05:45 - 06:57 | 12 |
| 06:57 - 07:17 | 10 |
| 07:17 - 07:39 | 11 |
| 07:39 - 08:00 | 10/11 |
| 08:00 - 08:25 | 12/13 |
| 08:25 - 08:40 | 15 |
| 08:40 - 10:00 | 16 |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | 15 |
| 12:00 - 17:00 | 12 |
| 17:00 - 23:00 | 15 |
| 23:00 - 00:20 | 20 |
| Monday to Friday school holidays | |
| 05:45 - 07:00 | 15 |
| 07:00 - 08:00 | 12 |
| 08:00 - 12:00 | 15 |
| 12:00 - 14:00 | 12 |
| 14:00 - 23:00 | 15 |
| 23:00 - 00:20 | 20 |
| Saturdays | |
| 05:45 - 06:05 | 20 |
| 06:05 - 10:05 | 15 |
| 10:05 - 16:05 | 12 |
| 16:05 - 23:20 | 15 |
| 23:20 - 00:20 | 20 |
| Sundays and Public Holidays | |
| 05:45 - 09:05 | 20 |
| 09:05 - 13:05 | 15 |
| 13:05 - 18:05 | 12 |
| 18:05 - 23:20 | 15 |
| 23:20 - 00:20 | 20 |
| Detailed timetable |
|---|
|
Citybus Route 702/Detailed timetable |
Special services[]
| Cheung Sha Wan (Sham Shing Road) → Shek Kip Mei Station ● Departs from "Banyan Terrace" stop on Sham Shing Road and terminates at "Man Lok House Tai Hang Sai Estate" stop on Woh Chai Street |
Sham Shui Po (Yen Chow Street) → Hoi Lai Estate ● Departs from "Fuk Wing Street" stop on Yen Chow Street |
| Monday to Friday school days | |
|---|---|
| 07:14 | 07:25 |
| No service on Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays and school holidays | |
- This route provides "Next Bus" Arrival Time Enquiry Service.
Fares[]
| Journey/boarding stop | Fares |
|---|---|
| Full fare | $5.0 |
| Section fares (to Hoi Lai Estate) | |
| From Fuk Wing Street | $4.4 |
| Fare Remarks |
|---|
|
Octopus Interchange Concessions[]
Passengers using the same Octopus card 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 702 Interchange Concession Scheme
Bus deployments[]
This route is served by a total of 6 double-decker buses, with the main models being Enviro500/MMC 11.3m (4020-4039, 41000-41019/4040-4091), its 12m version (5518-5582/5583-5599, 5601-5851, 515XX), Volvo B9TL 11.3/12m (45XX, 420XX/5200-5224) and Enviro500 12m (8204-8234).
Bus deployment evolution history[]
| Bus deployment evolution history of Citybus Route 702 |
|---|
|
NWFB deployed Dennis Trident 10.6m (1601, resold to KCR Bus) with this route's promotional banner during the early days of introduction. Not long after the launching, most of the buses were single-deckers. Later, Dennis Trident 10.3m (33XX) were deployed on this route. This route was approved to be operated by 12.8-metre buses since July 2020. Due to the shortage of buses in the franchised division, Citybus has been granted permission to operate Enviro500 12m (8204-8234) from the non-franchised fleet on this route from September 2024 onwards. |
Routing[]
The distance of this route is approx. 9.6km, and the journey time is approximately 65mins. (The average speed is 8.9km/h.)
Via: Sham Mong Road, Sham Shing Road, Hing Wah Street West, Sham Mong Road, Yen Chow Street West, Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po (Yen Chow Street) Bus Terminus, Yen Chow Street, Cheung Sha Wan Road, Tonkin Street, Castle Peak Road, Tai Po Road, Kweilin Street, Pak Tin Street, Woh Chai Street, Tai Hang Tung Road, To Yuen Street, Tat Chee Avenue, To Yuen Street, Lung Chu Street, Tai Hang Tung Road, Woh Chai Street, Nam Cheong Street, Un Chau Street, Yen Chow Street, Yen Chow Street West, Sham Mong Road and Hoi Lai Street
| Citybus Route 702 (Hoi Lai Estate ↺ Kowloon Tong (Festival Walk)) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus stop name | Remarks |
| 1 | Sham Shui Po West | Hoi Lai Estate | ||
| 2 | Sham Shing Road | Banyan Garden | Special trips begin here Near Liberte, The Pacifica | |
| 3 | Hing Wah Street West | Aquamarine | ||
| 4 | Sham Mong Road | Hoi Tak Court | Near Fat Tseung Street West, West Kowloon Law Courts Building | |
| 5 | Nam Cheong Station  |
Near Fu Cheong Estate | ||
| 6 | Sham Shui Po | Yen Chow Street | Nam Cheong Estate | |
| 7 | Yee Kuk Street | |||
| 8 | Sham Shui Po (Yen Chow Street) | Near Dragon Centre | ||
| 9 | Cheung Sha Wan Road | Yee Ching Court | Near Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices | |
| 10 | Cheung Sha Wan | Tonkin Street | Cheung Sha Wan Station |
Near Un Chau Estate |
| 11 | Sham Shui Po | Castle Peak Road | Tonkin Street | Near Apollo Shopping Centre |
| 12 | Kiu Kiang Street | |||
| 13 | Shek Kip Mei | Woh Chai Street | Mei Sang House Shek Kip Mei Estate | |
| 14 | Shek Kip Mei Station |
|||
| 15 | Man Lok House Tai Hang Sai Estate |
Special trips end here | ||
| 16 | Tai Hang Tung Road | Nam On House Nam Shan Estate | ||
| 17 | Nam Tai House Nam Shan Estate | |||
| 18 | Yau Yat Chuen | To Yuen Street | Heung To Middle School | |
| 19 | Festival Walk |
Circular route return point Timing point | ||
| Passengers boarding at or before Sham Shui Po (Yen Chow Street) who wish to continue to travel to Heung To Middle School or stops thereafter should repay the fare at Festival Walk. | ||||
| 20 | Yau Yat Chuen | To Yuen Street | Heung To Middle School | |
| 21 | Tai Hang Tung | Tai Hang Tung Road | Tung Fai House Tai Hang Tung Estate | |
| 22 | Tung Hoi House Tai Hang Tung Estate | |||
| 23 | Shek Kip Mei | Woh Chai Street | Shek Kip Mei Station |
|
| 24 | Nam Cheong Street | Shek Kip Mei Shopping Centre | ||
| 25 | Sham Shui Po | Un Chau Street | Pei Ho Street | |
| 26 | Yen Chow Street | Fuk Wing Street | Section fare begins here Special trips begin here Near Golden Computer Centre, Golden Computer Arcade | |
| 27 | Tai Nan Street | Near Dragon Centre | ||
| 28 | Tung Chau Street Park | |||
| 29 | Sham Shui Po West | Sham Mong Road | Nam Cheong Station |
Near Fu Cheong Estate |
| 30 | Hoi Tat Estate | Near Tonkin Street West, West Kowloon Law Courts Building | ||
| 31 | Hoi Lai Estate | |||
Ridership[]
There are many schools along Route 702 with many passengers during school hours on weekdays. However, as the route passes through traffic congestion black spots such as Un Chau Street and Castle Peak Road, and is operated on a circular basis, the frequency of the route may be unstable.[18]
According to the Bus Route Planning Programmes and other information, the ridership of this route is as follows:
- 2004: The average passengers onboard each bus was 19.[19]
- 2010: The highest occupancy rate was 48%.
- 2020:
Related incidents[]
- 2 April 2014: At around 6pm, a Dennis Trident (1028/HX217) towards Yau Yat Tsuen collided with a Volvo Olympian (AV429/HT714) on KMB Route 59A while turning right from Cheung Sha Wan Road onto Tonkin Street, resulting in injuries to two passengers.[22][23]
- 2 November 2015: At approximately 8:00 pm, a Dennis Trident (3039/HZ8453) towards Hoi Lai Estate experienced a sudden tyre blowout on its left rear wheel while passing outside Tung Chau Street Park on Yen Chow Street West. The tyre flew off and came to rest between the central reservation and the slow lane; However, the bus captain remained unaware and continued driving until being informed by a passer-by upon reaching the Fu Cheong Estate stop on Sham Mong Road.[24]
- 24 June 2020: At approximately half past eleven this morning, an Enviro500 MMC (5633/TP7430) collided with a bamboo scaffold while approaching the bus stop at Tai Nan Street on Yen Chow Street in Sham Shui Po. The impact shattered the left-hand side window of the upper deck, resulting in minor injuries to a female passenger who was subsequently taken to hospital.。[25][26]
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
Related articles[]
- Citybus Route 702A
- Citybus Route 702B
- Citybus Route 702S
- Kowloon GMB Route 10A (Cancelled)
- Kowloon GMB Route 10M (Cancelled)
- Kowloon GMB Route 41A
- Kowloon GMB Route 41M
References[]
- ↑ "西九填海區學生履險上學" (Students at W Kln reclamation area attended school with dangers enroute), Apple Daily, 18 January 2003.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "新巴路線第702號（蘇屋 – 長沙灣(深盛路)(循環線)）投入服務" (Chinese only) [Traffic Advice], March 2003.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "新巴首條西九龍專線702正式啟行" (Chinese only) [News Release], 17 March 2003.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "新巴與九廣鐵路推出其首項巴士鐵路免費轉乘優惠計劃 西鐵東鐵接駁經改良的新巴701及702號線" (NWFB and KCRC Introduces First Bus-Rail Free Interchange Concession Connecting West Rail and East Rail via improved Routes 701 and 702) [News Release], 19 August 2004.
- ↑ Government of the HKSAR, "LCQ1: Concessionary interchange scheme on Routes 701 and 702 of NWFB" [News Bulletin], 27 February 2008.
- ↑ Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation Limited, "九鐵與新巴推出首項巴士鐵路免費轉乘計劃" [Press Release], 19 August 2004.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "新巴與九廣鐵路推出其首項巴士鐵路免費轉乘優惠計劃 西鐵東鐵接駁經改良的新巴701及702號線" (NWFB and KCRC Introduces First Bus-Rail Free Interchange Concession Connecting West Rail and East Rail via improved Routes 701 and 702) [News Release], 19 August 2004.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "搬遷巴士總站安排新巴第702號線 (海麗邨至深水埗(欽州街) (循環線))" (Chinese only) [Traffic Advice], May 2005.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "Permanent Relocation of NWFB Route 702 Bus Terminus to Hoi Lai Estate" [News Release], 6 May 2005.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "新巴702號線每日早上十時至下午四時延長服務至蘇屋" (Chinese only) [News Release], 15 December 2006.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "新巴與九鐵巴士鐵路轉乘優惠計劃" (NWFB and KCR Bus-Rail Interchange Concession Scheme) [News Release], 23 November 2007.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "Extension of NWFB Route 702 to Yau Yat Tsuen Bus Terminus" [News Release], 4 July 2011.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "九龍專線小巴第10A/10M號終止服務及新巴第702號線服務調整" [Traffic Advice], 4 July 2011.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "New Service Arrangements for NWFB Route 702" [News Release], 19 August 2011.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Service Rationalization of New World First Bus (NWFB) Route No. 702" [Traffic Advice], 18 August 2011.
- ↑ New World First Bus Services Limited, "NWFB Offers New Fare Concessions" [News Release], 21 June 2013.
- ↑ Citybus Limited & New World First Bus Services Limited, "NWFB and Citybus Extend “Next Bus” Arrival Service to 74 Routes" [News Release], 15 December 2017.
- ↑ "要求新巴城巴於上、下課時段提升702巴士班次密度並增設特快特別班次" (Demand for Citybus and NWFB to enhance frequency on Route 702 and introduce express special trips), Sham Shui Po District Council Panel on Planning, Development and Transport Paper 65/20, 8 July 2020
- ↑ "新巴重組西九填海區兩線" (NWFB reorganises 2 routes in West Kowloon Reclamation Area), Oriental Daily News, 29 July 2004.
- ↑ "有關：要求新巴城巴於上、下課時段提升702巴士班次密度" (Related to: Demand for Citybus and NWFB to enhance frequency on Route 702 and introduce express special trips), Paper No. 82/20, 22 July 2020, Panel on Planning, Development and Transport, Sham Shui Po District Council.
- ↑ Sham Shui Po District Office District Council Secretariat."第6屆深水埗區議會規劃發展及交通事務委員會 第5次會議記錄" (Minutes of the 5th Meeting of the 6th Planning and Transport Affairs Committee of Sham Shui Po District Council), point 7, December 2020.
- ↑ "長沙灣兩巴士相撞兩人送院" (2 injured as two buses collided in Cheung Sha Wan), RTHK, 2 February 2014.
- ↑ 長沙灣兩巴士相撞兩人傷 (2 bus collision in Cheung Sha Wan leaving 2 injured), i-cable.com。
- ↑ "新巴行行吓飛甩輪胎 路過男：架車打側晒", Apple Daily, 2 November 2015.
- ↑ "雙層巴深水埗撞竹棚 玻璃破裂1女乘客輕傷", Headline Daily, 24 June 2020.
- ↑ "深水埗新巴撞棚架 上層車窗碎裂 玻璃碎片濺傷女童", HK01, 24 June 2020.
External links[]
- Citybus Official Route Information: 702 (to Kowloon Tong (Festival Walk))
- Citybus Official Route Information: 702 (to Hoi Lai Estate / Nam Cheong Station)
- Timetable approved by Transport Department
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