The New Territories Bus Route B3 is one of the NT West Boundary Lines operated by Citybus. It runs between Tuen Mun Ferry Pier and Shenzhen Bay Port, via San Shek Wan, Goodview Garden, LR Sam Shing Stop, Chi Lok Fa Yuen and Tuen Mun Town Centre.
History[]
As early as in early 2007, the Government invited tenders through an open tender for the operation of two boundary crossing routes from Tuen Mun Ferry Pier and West Rail Yuen Long Station to Shenzhen Bay Port, and one green minibus (GMB) route to and from Tin Shui Wai.
In late June 2007, the Transport Department announced that Citybus had won the bid for the Tuen Mun-bound route, numbered "B3", and that an express route with direct access to Tuen Mun Town Centre, numbered "B3X", had been split in response to the request of District Council members. [1][2][3][4]
- 1 July 2007: The Shenzhen Bay Port officially opened and Citybus launched the "Shenzhen West Express" Route B3, which passed through San Shek Wan, Chi Lok Fa Yuen, Tuen Mun Town Centre, Shan King, Tai Hing and Siu Hong Court.[5]
- 21 July 2007: No longer operated via San Hui area for Shenzhen Bay Port direction.[6]
- 16 August 2008: To tie in with the commencement of Route B3A, after Tuen Mun Town Centre, the route was rerouted via Tuen Mun Road directly to and from Shenzhen Bay Port via Pui To Road, and was no longer detoured to Shan King, Tai Hing and Siu Hong Court. [7][8]
- 17 November 2008: A new bus stop was added at "Hung Kiu" on Tuen Mun Road for daily departures from Shenzhen Bay Port after 22:25. [9]
- 12 February 2018: "Next Bus" Arrival Enquiry Service was added to this route.[10]
- 13 January 2019: The arrangement for additional bus stop at Hung Kiu on Tuen Mun Road from Shenzhen Bay Port was extended to all trips after 22:10 daily. [11]
- 8 February 2020: In response to the epidemic outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia, the Government implemented the anti-epidemic control measures to further compress the cross-boundary passenger flow, and the service of this route was suspended from that date onwards [12] until 31 March 2023.
- 6 September 2023: A trial departure from Shenzhen Bay Port at 06:50 on school days from Mondays to Fridays until the 15th of the same month was introduced.[13] The frequency was subsequently delayed by 5 minutes and changed to a daily service.
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 9/2023, see here for the referenced link
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- This route provides "Next Bus" Arrival Time Enquiry Service.
Remarks[]
- To tie in with the opening hours of the control point (06:30 to 24:00), bus service hours may be changed without prior notice.
- The Shenzhen Bay Bridge may be closed under inclement weather and all public transport services via the bridge will have to stop, travellers are advised to pay attention to the latest traffic conditions.
- Departures from Shenzhen Bay after the last bus of Route B3X (after 22:10 on Mondays to Fridays, and after 23:10 on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays) will make additional stops at the "Hung Kiu" bus stop on Tuen Mun Road.
- Depending on the passenger volume, the frequency will be increased to 15 to 20 minutes during morning peak hours on holidays.
- If residents organise short trips to the Mainland, they can provide information such as the time and number of passengers by fax or telephone in advance. Citybus will prepare special trips for the convenience of the residents and avoid affecting the use of the existing bus services by other members of the public.
Fares[]
| Journey/boarding stop | Fares |
|---|---|
| Full fare | $16.5 |
| 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 B3 Interchange Concessions
Bus deployments[]
This route is served by at least 3 double-decker buses, mainly Enviro500 MMC 12m (8491-8506) and 12.8m (6444-6452) with luggage racks, and occasionally Enviro500 MMC 12.8m (6300-6459). Volvo B9TL 12.8m (6500) may be used during morning peak hours on weekdays, weekends and public holidays. All vehicles travelling on this route must have a Frontier Closed Road Permit.
Routing[]
To Shenzhen Bay Port[]
To Shenzhen Bay: The distance of this route is approx. 22.7km, and the journey time is approximately 40mins. (The average speed is 34.1km/h.)
Via: Wu Chui Road, Lung Mun Road, Wong Chu Road, Hoi Wong Road, Hoi Chu Road, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, Hoi Wing Road, Castle Peak Road - Castle Peak Bay, Tuen Hing Road, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, Pui To Road, Tuen Mun Road, Yuen Long Highway, Kong Sham Western Highway, Shenzhen Bay Bridge and unnamed access road
| Citybus Route B3 (Tuen Mun Ferry Pier → Shenzhen Bay Port) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus stop name | Remarks |
| 1 | Tuen Mun Ferry Pier Area | Tuen Mun Ferry Pier  |
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| 2 | Wu Chui Road | Melody Garden |
near Butterfly Estate | |
| 3 | Lung Mun Road | Siu Shan Court |
||
| 4 | Tuen Mun (San Shek Wan) | Sun Tuen Mun Centre |
near Tuen Mun Golf Centre | |
| 5 | LR Lung Mun Stop |
|||
| 6 | Tuen Mun (On Yau) | Hoi Chu Road | Goodview Garden |
|
| 7 | Tsui Ning Garden | |||
| 8 | Tuen Mun (Mouse Island) | Hoi Wing Road | Mouse Island Children's Playground |
near Hanford Garden, Siu Lun Court |
| 9 | Castle Peak Road - Castle Peak Bay | Tuen Mun Siu Lun Government Complex | near Mrs Aw Boon Haw Secondary School | |
| 10 | Tuen Mun (Mouse Island) | Tsing Sin Playground | ||
| 11 | Chi Lok Fa Yuen | |||
| 12 | Tuen Hing Road | Tuen Mun Government Secondary School | ||
| 13 | Tuen Mun Town Centre | Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road | Tuen Mun Town Centre |
|
| All stops beyond this point are within the Frontier Closed Area (FCA). Passengers who do not possess a valid Closed Area Permit or travel documents (e.g. "Entry and Exit Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents" (Home Return Permit), passport, etc.) must alight at all stops before this point | ||||
 Yuen Long Highway;  Kong Sham Western Highway, Shenzhen Bay Bridge
| ||||
| 14 | Shenzhen (Shekou) | Shenzhen Bay Port | Within the Frontier Closed Area | |
| The Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area (including the bus terminus) is a Frontier Closed Area (FCA). Passengers boarding, alighting or staying at this area must have a valid travel document (e.g. "Entry and Exit Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents" (Home Return Permit), passport, etc.) or a Frontier Closed Area Permit, otherwise it is an offence. Passengers should enter the Joint Inspection Building as soon as possible after alighting from the bus to complete the departure formalities. | ||||
To Tuen Mun Ferry Pier[]
To Tuen Mun: The distance of this route is approx. 22.9km, and the journey time is approximately 40mins. (The average speed is 34.4km/h.)
Via: Unnamed access road, Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway, Yuen Long Highway, Tuen Mun Road, Pui To Road, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, Tuen Hing Road, Castle Peak Road - Castle Peak Bay, Hoi Wing Road, Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, Hoi Chu Road, Hoi Wong Road, Wong Chu Road, Lung Mun Road and Wu Chui Road
| Citybus Route B3 (Shenzhen Bay Port → Tuen Mun Ferry Pier) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus stop name | Remarks |
| 1 | Shenzhen (Shekou) | Shenzhen Bay Port | Within the Frontier Closed Area | |
| Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway; Yuen Long Highway
| ||||
| All stops before this point are within the Frontier Closed Area. Passengers without a Closed Area Permit or travel documents (e.g. "Entry and Exit Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents" (Home Return Permit), passport, etc.) are not allowed to go there | ||||
| * | Tuen Mun (San Hui) | Tuen Mun Road | Hung Kiu | Applicable to departures after the last bus of Route B3X has departed |
| 2 | Tuen Mun Town Centre | Tuen Mun Town Centre |
near Tuen Mun Park | |
| 3 | Tuen Hing Road | Tuen Mun Government Secondary School | near New Town Mansion | |
| 4 | Tuen Mun (Chi Lok) | Castle Peak Road - Castle Peak Bay | Handsome Court | near Chi Lok Fa Yuen |
| 5 | Harvest Garden | |||
| 6 | Tuen Mun (Sam Shing Hui) | Hoi Wing Road | Hanford Garden |
near Siu Lun Court |
| 7 | Tuen Mun (On Yau) | Hoi Chu Road | Goodview Garden |
near Tsui Ning Garden |
| 8 | Tuen Mun (San Shek Wan) | Lung Mun Road | Glrious Garden | |
| 9 | Sun Tuen Mun Centre |
|||
| 10 | Tuen Mun Ferry Pier Area | Siu Shan Court |
||
| 11 | Wu Chui Road | Tip Sum House Butterfly Estate |
near Melody Garden | |
| 12 | Wu Pik House Wu King Estate | near Richland Garden | ||
| 13 | Siu Hei Court |
Alighting only | ||
| 14 | Tuen Mun Ferry Pier |
near Pierhead Garden | ||
| The Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area (including the bus terminus) is a Frontier Closed Area (FCA). Passengers boarding, alighting or staying at this area must have a valid travel document (e.g. "Entry and Exit Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents" (Home Return Permit), passport, etc.) or a Frontier Closed Area Permit, otherwise it is an offence. | ||||
Ridership[]
According to the documents of the District Council and the Legislative Council, the ridership of this route is as follows:
- 2013: The average number of passengers carried per day was about 1,700.[14]
- 2016: The average occupancy rate was 50% during the weekday morning peak period and 39% during the weekday afternoon peak period; the average occupancy rate was 46% during the holiday morning peak period and 39% during the holiday afternoon peak period.[15]
- 2019:
- Beginning of the year: The average daily occupancy rate is 34% as shown in the Legislative Council Paper. [16]
- Mid-year: The occupancy rate of the morning peak period for the Shenzhen Bay-bound trips was more than 50%, while the occupancy rate of the afternoon peak period for the Tuen Mun-bound trips was about 50%. [17]
Related incidents[]
Traffic accidents[]
- 21 October 2012: At around 2:00 pm, a Dennis Trident (23005/KN1182) heading towards Shenzhen Bay Port was driving through Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road near the LR Town Centre Stop when it suddenly lost control of the vehicle and plowed into the railings of the central divider, injuring the driver's hand. [18][19]
- 4 November 2013: At around 5:00pm, a Tuen Mun Ferry Pier-bound Dennis Trident (23002/KM6194) failed to stop at the junction of Lung Mun Road and Wu Chui Road in Tuen Mun and hit a Toyota Coaster travelling on New Territories GMB Route 44 in front of it, and then pushed it forward and hit a private car, resulting in injuries to three people. [20]
- 14 February 2019: At nearly 10:30pm, a Tuen Mun Ferry Pier-bound Enviro500 MMC (6445/VU6355) was about to make a left turn to Hoi Chu Road off Siu Lun Court at Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road when it was intercepted and hit by a Tin King-bound Light Rail Route 507 Phase 4 LRV (1114), the front end of the LR vehicle was inserted into the coach of the Coaster, and the left body of the Citybus was hit with a hole in it. [21][22][23]
Dismissal of bus captain controversy[]
A Citybus driver surnamed Au who has served on Citybus for 17 years and reported that he suffered from kidney stones and prostatitis, etc., drove an Enviro500 (81007/ND9337) to Tuen Mun Ferry Pier Bus Terminus at around 9:00 p.m. on 8 April 2016, and because of the urgency to urinate, he walked to the washroom at Ocean Walk, a shopping mall at the superstructure of the mall, to use the washroom even though it was close to the time for the next bus to depart, thus delaying the departure of the bus scheduled to be continued at 9:45 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. A male passenger who was waiting for the bus was dissatisfied with the slow pace of the bus when it returned to the bus terminus and accused the driver of delaying the journey on purpose after boarding the bus. A verbal argument broke out between the two parties, and they took short videos of each other cursing each other. Both parties then had a verbal altercation and took video footage of each other cursing each other.[24]
The male passenger subsequently lodged a complaint against the driver with Citybus, and Citybus's Quality Service Manager summoned the driver on 20 April for investigation. Au was alleged to have left the driver's cabin to argue with a passenger, made inappropriate remarks and behaved in a provocative manner, which constituted serious misconduct and resulted in his immediate dismissal without payment of wages in lieu of notice and long service payment. As the male passenger also posted a video clip on the Internet, netizens, after learning the truth of the incident, took up the cause of the bus driver and criticised the male passenger and Citybus for unfairness.[25][26][27][28]
The District subsequently sought to recover damages from Citybus through the Labour Tribunal, and the case went to trial on 5 October of the same year.[29] On 26 October, the Magistrate ruled in favour of the bus driver and Citybus was required to pay a total of $60,000 to the claimant in lieu of notice and long service payment. [30][31]
This incident has revealed the difficulties faced by bus captains in using toilets. Apart from the fact that only MTR buses and KMB have staff toilets at the Tuen Mun Pier Head Public Transport Interchange where the incident occurred, resulting in Citybus captains having to walk several hundred metres to Ocean Walk shopping mall to use the toilets, a number of bus termini in various districts in Hong Kong and Kowloon do not have proper toilets for use by bus captains.
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
Related Articles[]
- Citybus Route B3A
- Citybus Route B3M
- Citybus Route B3X
- Citybus Route NB3
References[]
- ↑ "西部通道3巴士線單程11元 屯門元朗往返 城巴嶼巴經營" (3 Western Corridor bus routes run between Tuen Mun and Yuen Long priced at $11 per trip, to be operated by Citybus and NLB), Ming Pao, 23 June 2007.
- ↑ "屯門區議會二零零六／二零零七年度交通及運輸委員會第九次會議記錄" (Minutes of the Ninth Meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tuen Mun District Council for the Year 2006/2007), 9 March 2007.
- ↑ "屯門區議會二零零六／二零零七年度交通及運輸委員會第二次特別會議記錄" (Minutes of the Second Special Meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tuen Mun District Council for the Year 2006/2007), 26 March 2007.
- ↑ "Public Transport and Traffi c Arrangements for Shenzhen Bay Port", Transport Department leaflet.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "城巴全新「深西快線」B3及B3X號線7月1日投入服務" [News Release], 25 June 2007.
- ↑ 巴士新聞 2007年7月 (Bus News July 2007), bustop.info.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Service Enhancements of Citybus “Shenzhen West Express”" [News Release], 13 August 2008.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "由2008年8月16日起 城巴巴士服務第B3號及B3X號服務調整及開辦城巴巴士服務第B3A號" (Service Adjustments of Citybus Route Nos. B3 and B3X and Introduction of Citybus Route No. B3A) [Traffic Advice], August 2008.
- ↑ 城巴B3加虹橋站 (Additional bus stop at Hung Kiu for Route B3), hkitalk.net
- ↑ Citybus Limited & New World First Bus Services Limited, "NWFB and Citybus Extend “Next Bus” Arrival Service to 130 Routes Expected to Cover All Franchised Bus Routes by 3rd Quarter This Year" [News Release], 12 February 2018.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3 Adjustment of Departure Time of Late Night Trips via Hung Kiu" [Passenger Notice], 10 January 2019.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Land-based cross-boundary special transport arrangements" [News Bulletin], 6 February 2020.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3 Trial Operation Of Additional Departure On School Days" [Passenger Notice], 5 September 2023.
- ↑ Tuen Mun District Council Secretariat, "屯門區議會2012-2013年交通及運輸委員會第十二次會議記錄" (Minutes of the Twelfth Meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tuen Mun District Council in 2012-2013), 24 December 2013.
- ↑ "2016年11月18日屯門區區議會交通及運輸委員會第六次會議回覆交委會文件2016年第64號文件 要求收回B3系列巴士路線經營權" (Reply to TTC Paper No. 64 of 2016 from the Traffic and Transport Committee of Tuen Mun District Council at its 6th meeting on 18 November 2016 Request for resumption of the operating right of the B3 series routes), Distribution Paper No. 1, November 2016, at the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tuen Mun District Council.
- ↑ "Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2019-20 (Director of Bureau: Secretary for Transport and Housing Session No. 9)", Legislative Council, p.515.
- ↑ "城巴有限公司的書面回應：要求B3及B3A巴士線加密班次改善服務" (Citybus Limited's written response: Request for frequency enhancement of bus routes B3 and B3A to improve services), Tuen Mun District Council Traffic and Transport Committee Paper No. 60/2019, 3 September 2019
- ↑ 屯門鄉事會路城巴撞鐵欄司機受傷 (Driver injured when CTB bus crashed into railings on Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road), RTHK Breaking News.
- ↑ 屯門一遊 (A trip to Tuen Mun), HKBF (with photos related to the accident)
- ↑ "屯門3車串燒碰撞" (3 vehicles collided with each other in Tuen Mun), on.cc, 4 November 2013.
- ↑ "屯門輕鐵攔腰撞巴士 4條輕鐵路線服務受阻" (LRV slammed T-bone on a Citybus, 4 LR routes service disrupted), Apple Daily, 14 February 2019
- ↑ "屯門輕鐵與城巴相撞 4條輕鐵路線服務受阻" (LRV collided with Citybus at Tuen Mun, 4 LR routes disrupted), on.cc, 14 February 2019
- ↑ "屯門城巴疑衝燈遭輕鐵直插車廂 列車服務受阻" (Citybus hit T-bone by LRV rushing red light directly into compartment), HK01, 14 February 2019.
- ↑ "城巴車長為上廁所遲開車被炒？司機乘客互相拍片指摘" (Citybus driver fired for going to toilet and delayed the departure? Driver and passenger took video slamming on each other), HK01, 21 April 2016.
- ↑ "遲開車乘客Complain 城巴司機屙篤尿被叮" (Complained by passenger for lateness: Citybus driver summoned just for going to toilet), Apple Daily, 21 April 2016.
- ↑ "因一篤尿被炒車長控訴：點可以咁唔公道？" (Bus captain fired for going to toilet complained: Why can it be so unfair), on.cc, 21 April 2016.
- ↑ "【屙尿被叮】車長斥城巴冇人情味 不排除上訴" ([Fired for going to toilet] Bus captain slammed Citybus for lack of empathy, doesn't rule out appealing), Apple Daily, 21 April 2016
- ↑ "車長與乘客對罵 城巴即時解僱" (Bus captain and passenger slammed each other, fired by Citybus immediately), Sun Post, 22 April 2016.
- ↑ "城巴車長與乘客口角後被炒 官質疑員工守則令司機陷兩難" (Citybus driver fired after verbal altercation with passenger, judge criticised staff rules making drivers doubtful), HK01, 5 October 2016.
- ↑ "車長與客吵架後被炒 法庭裁定城巴非合理解僱" (Driver fired after verbal altercation with passenger: court ruled that Citybus unreasonably terminated the driver), Apple Daily, 26 October 2016
- ↑ "城巴車長與乘客口角互拍後被炒 勞審官指處罰太嚴苛 車長勝訴" (Citybus driver fired after verbal altercation with passenger: Labour Tribunal judge said punishment too severe and ruled in favour of driver), HK01, 26 October 2016.
External Links[]
- Citybus Official Route Information: B3 (to Shenzhen Bay Port)
- Citybus Official Route Information: B3 (to Tuen Mun Ferry Pier)
- Timetable approved by Transport Department
| Bus routes terminating or turning back in Tuen Mun District (shown below are destination districts) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| HK Island |
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| Kowloon |
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| New Territories West |
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| New Territories East |
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| Shenzhen Ports |
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Italic - service during specified days/periods only; → - Outbound service only; ← - Inbound service only; ($) - one-way to Central and Western District during morning peak hours on weekdays, two-way To/from Wan Chai District during rest of the day | |||||||||||||||||||||
| List of routes connecting Boundary Control Points | |
|---|---|
| Lok Ma Chau Control Point (connects to Huanggang Port) | <Cross-boundary Shuttle Buses> Huang Bus <Cross-boundary Coaches> Kam Sheung Road All China Express • China-Hong Kong Express (Tsuen Wan) • Yau Tsim 24-hour Cross-border Express • Mong Kok All China Express • Kwun Tong 24-hour Cross-border Express • Wan Chai All China Express • Wonderland Express • Huanggang Cross-boundary Bus Tung Chung Citygate Route <Late-night GMB> 44B • 79S • 616S |
| Shenzhen Bay Control Point (connects to Shenzhen Bay Port of Entry) | <Local Services> Franchised Buses: B2 • B2P • B2X • B3 • B3A • B3M • B3X Green Minibuses: 618 • 618A • 618B <Cross-boundary Coaches> Trans-Island Prince Edward-Shenzhen Bay Route • Trans-Island Tsim Sha Tsui-Shenzhen Bay Route • Shenzhen Bay Cross-border Express • East Kowloon Express • Trans-Island Sheung Wan-Shenzhen Bay Route • Trans-Island Causeway Bay-Shenzhen Bay Route • Shenzhen Bay-Ocean Park Route • Shenzhen Bay Cross-boundary Bus Shenzhen Bay Route |
| Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point (connects to Futian Port of Entry) | |
| Sha Tau Kok Control Point (connects to Shatoujiao Port of Entry) | |
| Man Kam To Control Point (connects to Shenzhen Wenjindu Port of Entry) | <Cross-boundary Coaches> Man Kam To Express |
| Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Control Point (connects to HZMB Macau Frontier Post and Zhuhai Port) | <Local Services> Franchised Buses:
Residents' buses: DB02A • DB02R • NR334 <Cross-boundary shuttle buses/coaches> Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Shuttle Bus <Cross-border Coaches> One Bus • Hong Kong - Macao Express • Kwun Tong (apm) - Macau Route • EEBus HZMB - Macau Route |
| Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (connects to Shenzhen Liantang Port) | |
| HSR West Kowloon Station Control Point (connects to the Mainland Port Area of the HSR West Kowloon Station) | |
| HKIA SkyPier Terminal (connects to HZMB Macau Frontier Post and Zhuhai Port) | <Cross-boundary Coaches> Macau HK Airport Direct • Zhuhai HK Airport Direct (Direct access to the Airport Restricted Area without immigration clearance in Hong Kong) |