The New Territories Bus Route B3X is one of the Shenzhen West Express routes operated by Citybus. It runs between Tuen Mun Town Centre and Shenzhen Bay Port, passing through Hung Kiu and is a special trip of Route B3.
History[]
- 1 July 2007: To tie in with the opening of the Shenzhen Bay Port, Citybus launched the Shenzhen West Express Route B3X. After departing from Tuen Mun Town Centre, buses would go straight to the Shenzhen Bay Port.[1]
- 16 August 2008: Additional stops at "San Hui Market" and "Hung Kiu" on Tuen Mun Road when heading towards Shenzhen Bay Port; and additional stops at "Hung Kiu" on Tuen Mun Road and "Tuen Mun Government Secondary School" on Tuen Hing Road when heading towards Tuen Mun Town Centre.[2][3]
- 2009: Tuen Mun Town Plaza took the initiative to cooperate with Citybus to purchase a large number of B3X tickets for a shopping mall promotion;[4] Chinese visitors who made a purchase of HK$800 or more at the mall would receive a free ticket to and from Shenzhen Bay Port.[5]
- Citybus subsequently partnered with a number of shopping malls in Tuen Mun to offer various fare concessions to attract visitors, but all promotions were discontinued in February 2015 due to opposition from local residents.[6] See the chapter below for more.
- 24 September 2012: First bus departs 5 minutes earlier in each direction.[7]
- 10 December 2016: Last bus from Tuen Mun Town Centre delayed to 23:05.[8]
- 12 February 2018: "Next Bus" Arrival Enquiry Service was added to this route.[9]
- 18 February 2020: In view of the novel coronavirus outbreak (later named COVID-19 pandemic) and the Government's compression of cross-boundary passenger flow between Hong Kong and the Mainland, the last bus from Tuen Mun Town Centre was postponed to 00:10 until further notice.[10]
- 3 April 2020: Service hours was shortened to 09:40 - 19:35 towards Shenzhen Bay Port and 10:05 - 20:10 towards Tuen Mun Town Centre.[11]
- 29 April 2021: With the change of passenger clearance service hours to 10:00 - 22:00 at Shenzhen Bay Port, the last bus to Shenzhen Bay Port will be delayed to 21:35 and the last bus to Tuen Mun Town Centre was delayed to 22:10.[12][13]
- 21 March 2022: With the change of passenger clearance service hours to 10:00 - 18:00 at Shenzhen Bay Port, the last bus to Shenzhen Bay Port will be advanced to 17:10 and the last bus to Tuen Mun Town Centre was advanced to 18:15.[14][15]
- 22 March 2022: Last bus to Shenzhen Bay Port was advanced to 16:40.[16][17]
- 8 July 2022: Last bus to Shenzhen Bay Port was delayed to 18:10 when heading to Shenzhen Bay Port and delayed to 20:15 when heading to Tuen Mun Town Centre due to the change of passenger clearance service hours to 09:00 - 20:00.[18][19]
- 8 August 2022: Trips departing at 07:40 from Tuen Mun Town Centre was added as the service time of Nucleic Acid Testing at Shenzhen Bay Port was changed to 08:00 - 18:30.[20][21]
- 14 December 2022: Service time of departure from Tuen Mun Town Centre was changed to 08:40 - 19:10 in view of the exemption of "test-and-hold“ arrangement for cross-border travellers at Shenzhen Bay Port.[22]
- 8 January 2023: Normal service hours were resumed for both directions upon the resumption of normal opening hours of Shenzhen Bay Port.[23]
Service Hours and Headways[]
The latest update is on 1/2023, see here for the referenced link
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- This route provides "Next Bus" Arrival Time Enquiry Service.
Remarks[]
- Passengers should pay attention to the traffic conditions during severe weather as the Shenzhen Bay Bridge may be closed and public transport services via the bridge will be suspended.
Fare[]
| Journey/ Boarding Stop | Fare |
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| Full Fare | $14.7 |
| Fare Remarks |
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Bus Interchange Scheme[]
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.)
Shenzhen Bay Port Bus Interchange Scheme[]
Template:Citybus Route B3 Bus Interchange Scheme
Bus Deployments[]
At least four double-decker buses are allocated to this route (currently only two under the COVID-19 pandemic), mainly the Enviro500 MMC 12m (8491-8506) and its 12.8m version (6444-6452) with luggage racks, and the Volvo B9TL 12.8m (6500). All vehicles operating on this route must obtain a Closed Road Permit.
To cope with the high daily ridership, this route will be supported by additional Enviro500 MMC 12.8m (6300-6459) without luggage racks, and more extra buses will run on weekends.
In August 2018, it was reported that Citybus did not prevent passengers with large luggage from travelling on this route and allowed passengers to fill up the aisles with their luggages, posing a safety hazard.[24] Since later that month, Citybus has been operating Enviro500 MMC 12m (8450-8459) with Standing Bays on every weekend as an additional bus.[25]
Bus Deployment Evolution History[]
During the initial commencement of Route B3X, the coach version of the Dennis Trident (2109-2111) and the Euro III version of the same bus model (2302-2310) with luggage racks were mainly used.
Five months later, the first two Enviro500 buses (8100 and 8101) were deployed to routes B3 and B3X in December 2007, with advertisements on all four sides of the buses to promote their Euro IV emission standard characteristics.[26] Later, 8102-8109 became the main buses used, with all 10 buses equipped with luggage racks and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, resulting in a 94% and 56% reduction in harmful suspended particulates and nitrogen oxides respectively compared to Euro I vehicles.
In late 2013, the Dennis Trident buses (2115 and 2116), formerly part of Citybus' Airport Express fleet, were transferred from Lantau and the Airport to operate mainly on this and other B3 series routes and has now been retired.
With the introduction of more Enviro500 MMCs, the Dennis Trident (2302-2310) and Enviro500 (8100-8109) have been deployed away from the B3 series routes, with the former being fully retired and the latter now mainly serving the Southern District of Hong Kong Island.
In February 2020, due to the reduction in patronage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Citybus temporarily deployed only the Enviro500 MMC 12m (8491-8506) with luggage racks from 8 February, although the same 12.8m (6444-6452) will still be available from time to time. The Volvo B9TL 12.8m (6500) will also become the usual vehicle for this route on weekdays.
Routing[]
to Shenzhen Bay Port[]
To Shenzhen Bay Port: The distance of this route is approx. 15.1km, and the journey time is approximately 20mins. (The average speed is 45.3km/h.)
Via: Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road, Pui To Road, Tuen Mun Road, Yuen Long Highway, Kong Sham Western Highway, Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Unnamed Road
| Route Map |
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| Citybus Route B3X (Tuen Mun Town Centre → Shenzhen Bay Port) | ||||
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| No. | Area | Road | Bus Stop Name | Remarks |
| 1 | Tuen Mun Town Centre | Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road | Tuen Mun Town Centre  |
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| 2 | Tuen Mun (San Hui) | Tuen Mun Road | San Hui Market | |
| 3 | Hung Kiu | About 15 minutes from this stop to Shenzhen Bay Port | ||
| 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
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| 4 | 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 Town Centre[]
To Tuen Mun: The distance of this route is approx. 15.9km, and the journey time is approximately 24mins. (The average speed is 39.8km/h.)
Via: Unnamed Road, Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway, Yuen Long Highway, Tuen Mun Road, Pui To Road, Castle Peak Road - Castle Peak Bay, Tuen Hing Road and Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road
| Route Map |
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| Citybus Route B3X (Shenzhen Bay Port → Tuen Mun Town Centre) | ||||
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| 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
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| 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 | ||||
| 2 | Tuen Mun (San Hui) | Tuen Mun Road | Hung Kiu | Approximately 15 minutes from the terminus to this stop |
| 3 | Tuen Mun Town Centre | Tuen Hing Road | Tuen Mun Government Secondary School |  Interchange to Route 962X to Hong Kong Island
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| 4 | Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road | Tuen Mun Town Centre |
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| 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 information of Tuen Mun District Council meetings in the past years, the ridership of this route is as follows:
- July 2011: The daily ridership of the B3 series routes was maintained at over 6,000, with 1,000 to 2,000 passengers on Routes B3 and B3A respectively and about 3,000 passengers on this route. During public holidays, ridership was also maintained at 6,000 to 10,000.[27]
- November 2013: The average daily patronage was about 10,000.[28]
- 2019: The average daily occupancy rate of this route is 41% according to the Legislative Council document.[29]
Related Incidents[]
Large number of Chinese Tourists and Cross-Boundary Parallel Importers on board[]
Since the commencement of the Route B3X in 2007, a number of major shopping malls in Tuen Mun Town Centre have been offering various promotions to attract Mainland visitors to Hong Kong, with visitors receiving a complimentary travel voucher for the route upon spending a specified amount of money at the mall.[4] Since 2009, Shenzhen permanent residents have been able to use the "multiple-entry permits" to travel to and from Hong Kong for an unlimited number of times in a year, leading to a sudden increase in the number of passengers on this route.
In October 2012 and February 2013, MTR tightened the weight limit of luggage allowed on the East Rail Line twice[30] and, as the Lunar New Year drew to a close, many people who engaged in cross-border parallel imports and New Year's shopping in Hong Kong switched to this route and KMB Route B1 to travel to and from the Mainland via various BCPs. At its peak, the queue once stretched to Tuen Mun Stop, i.e. nearly 250 metres long, causing increasing discontent among local residents.
In mid-January 2015, a clip of a bus captain dissuading people from using a bus as a lorry to transport large amounts of luggage was circulated on the internet, leading to heated discussions online.[31] On 25 January, the Population Policy Concern Group and the North District Parallel Imports Concern Group conducted a headcount at the Tuen Mun Town Centre Bus Terminus, reminding visitors of the risk of violating baggage size and weight laws. After the headcount, it was estimated that more than 12,000 visitors took the bus back to Shenzhen Bay within 3 hours, among which more than 1,800 people brought bulky and overweight luggage on the bus.[32][33]
On 31 January, Citybus said it had suspended the sale of vouchers for this route to shopping centres in the area from noon onwards,[34] but clarified in the evening that there was no plan to stop the sale and that it was an internal communication misunderstanding, and that only 7% of passengers had used the vouchers to redeem their tickets for B3X routes in the past year.[35] On the following day, paint was splashed on the station sign, soft drink machine and even the pavement of the Tuen Mun Town Centre Terminus, and messages against smuggling of parallel imports were sprayed on them.[36] Finally, after a meeting with the Transport Department on 3 February, Citybus decided to stop selling bus vouchers to shopping centres in the area.[37]
On 8 February, an online organisation staged a demonstration called "Liberate Tuen Mun", in which 400 people demonstrated at Tuen Mun Town Plaza and Tuen Mun Trend Plaza, demanding the abolition of the "Multiple-Entry Endorsement" (「一簽多行」) permits. Police officers used pepper sprays and truncheons to disperse the demonstrators, and 13 people were arrested; another large number of demonstrators protested at the Tuen Mun Town Centre Bus Terminus against the serious nuisance caused to Tuen Mun residents by Chinese tourists and parallel traders, the Police cordoned off as a standby measure and Citybus deployed additional staff to maintain order at the stop.[38] A month later, another anti-smuggling demonstration took place in Tuen Mun, with some demonstrators using the queuing railings placed by Citybus at the Tuen Mun Town Centre Terminus to block the front of the station in an attempt to stop an Enviro 500 (8201/PR6404) bus from leaving; and it left the stop after police officers expelled the protesters away.[39] The series of demonstrations finally forced the Chinese Central People's Government to announce on 13 April that the "Multiple-Entry Endorsement" would be replaced by "one trip per week" (「一周一行」) individual entry endorsements.[40]
In December 2017, a video was circulated on the internet that a Citybus staff had stopped a bus on safety grounds because the luggage storage space was full, but two passengers who were unable to board the bus hurled insults at the staff, who were angry and snapped back at them.[41]
On 30 September 2018, Tam Hoi-pong (譚凱邦), convenor of the Population Policy Concern Group (人口政策關注組) and then Tsuen Wan District Councillor, launched a "Self-Guided Tours Go Away" (「勸走自由行」) campaign in the afternoon to introduce the shopping spots in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area to Mainland visitors at the Tuen Mun terminus of this route, urging them not to make a special trip to Hong Kong to spend their money.[42][43]
On 3 February 2019, the Population Policy Concern Group, Tuen Mun Community Network (屯門社區網絡) and Tuen Mun Siu Chui Concern Group (屯門兆翠關注組) launched the "Send Away Self-Guided Tours" (「送走自由行」) campaign, urging Mainland visitors to stop coming to Hong Kong and shop in Shenzhen instead at the Tuen Mun Terminus on this route.[44][45]
Vandalism[]
- 16 October 2018: At about 1pm, a male passenger found a sewing needle of about 5 cm long inserted across the back of one of the seats on the left side of the upper deck of an Enviro500 MMC (8452/SX5504) at Tuen Mun Town Centre and immediately informed the bus driver.[46]
- 13 October 2019: An Enviro500 MMC (6449/VV4673) heading towards Shenzhen Bay Port was defaced by protesters on Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road in the afternoon.[47]
- 13 November 2019: At about 1am, the service of this route was suspended due to the anti-ELAB protests. An Enviro500 MMC (6448/VU9112) originally running on this route was parked at Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road when it was sprayed with words and set alight by protesters, causing serious damage to the whole bus.[48]
Passenger Incidents[]
- 31 March 2019: In the morning, a Mandarin-speaking female passenger boarded the Enviro500 MMC (6449/VV4673) bus of this route at the Shenzhen Bay Port and found that there were no seats left on the bus and got off the bus and demanded a refund. She then had a verbal altercation with someone who was present. The passenger was then escorted aboard the bus by bus company staff.[49]
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
Related Articles[]
- Citybus Route B3
- Citybus Route B3A
- Citybus Route B3M
References[]
- ↑ Citybus Limited, 'Citybus' new "Shenzhen West Express" routes B3 and B3X to be put into service on 1 July' [Press release], 25 June 2007.
- ↑ Transport Department of the HKSARG, 〈13144.htm 由 2008年8月16日 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〉[Transport Notice], 24 July 2008.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, 〈Citybus "Shenzhen West Express" Service Upgrade〉[Press Release], 13 August 2008.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 商場吸自由行客 優惠形象兼備, Next Week.
- ↑ Tuen Mun Town Plaza, 〈Tuen Mun Town Plaza Spends $3 Million to Celebrate May Day and Mother's Day〉 [Press release], 22 April 2009.
- ↑ Citybus to stop selling B3X bus vouchers, Apple Daily, 4 February 2015. (Chinese)
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "城巴B3X號線提早頭班車時間及加強班次服務" [News Release], 21 September 2012. (Chinese)
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Citybus Routes B3 and B3X Service Enhancement" [News Release], 9 December 2016. (Chinese)
- ↑ 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, "Citybus Suspends Route B3, B3A and B3M Service Route B3X Headway Adjusted" [News Release], 6 February 2020.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Route B3X Temporary Change of Operating Hours" [Passenger Notice], 2 April 2020.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "Route B3X Temporary Change of Operating Hours" [Passenger Notice], 27 April 2021.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Special Transport Arrangements for Shenzhen Bay Port" [Traffic Advice], 28 April 2021.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Special Transport Arrangements for Shenzhen Bay Port" [Traffic Advice], 20 March 2022.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3X 臨時提早尾班車" [Passenger Notice], 21 March 2022.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Special Transport Arrangements for Shenzhen Bay Port" [Traffic Advice], 21 March 2022.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3X Temporary Advancement Of Last Departures" [Passenger Notice], 21 March 2022.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3X 服務安排" [Passenger Notice], 7 July 2022.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Special Transport Arrangements for Shenzhen Bay Port" [Traffic Advice], 7 July 2022.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3X Service Arrangements" [Passenger Notice], 1 August 2022.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Special Transport Arrangements for Shenzhen Bay Port" [Traffic Advice], 3 August 2022.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, "B3X Service Arrangements" [Passenger Notice], 13 December 2022.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "PUBLIC TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS AT BOUNDARY CONTROL POINTS AFTER FULL RESUMPTION OF NORMAL TRAVEL" , 5 January 2023.
- ↑ 爆相爆片：拖篋層層叠堵巴士門 牙煙, Apple Daily, August 6, 2018.
- ↑ Citybus Limited, 'Fleet Information (September 2018)' [staff notice], 5 September 2018.
- ↑ 環保巴士載你去深圳, Apple Daily, 13 December 2007.
- ↑ "Eleventh Meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tuen Mun District Council 2010-2011, 8 July 2011.
- ↑ "Request for improvement of Route B3M services and addition of large scale route maps at Shenzhen Bay Port, Minutes of the 12th meeting of the Tuen Mun District Council Traffic and Transport Committee 2012-2013, 8 November 2013.
- ↑ Replies of the Controlling Officers of the Finance Committee in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2019-20 (Session 9 of the Secretary for Transport and Housing), Legislative Council, p.515.
- ↑ MTR Corporation Limited,〈A Plan on Passenger Luggage Dimensions onto the MTR network, April 2016.
- ↑ 女巴士司機鬧爆水貨客：你估呢架係貨車嚟？, Sina News Hong Kong, 21 January 2015.
- ↑ 水貨客疑用城巴運貨 團體點算3小時近2,000人行李違規, Apple Daily Breaking News, 25 January 2015.
- ↑ 屯門B3X淪水貨客專巴, Sky Post, 26 January 2015.
- ↑ 城巴停向屯門商場出售B3X巴士券, Next Magazine, 31 January 2015.
- ↑ 城巴轉軚續售跨境巴換領券, Apple Daily, 1 February 2015.
- ↑ Tuen Mun bus stop defaced with oil spray, now News, 1 February 2015. (Chinese)
- ↑ Citybus to stop selling B3X bus vouchers, Apple Daily, 4 February 2015.
- ↑ [Liberate Tuen Mun]: Large group of people surrounded the B3X bus stop, Apple Daily Breaking News, 8 February 2015. (Chinese)
- ↑ 急撤上水 突襲屯門 夜攻尖嘴, Apple Daily, 8 March 2015.
- ↑ HKSARG, "HKSAR Government welcomes new measure to optimise "multiple-entry" Individual Visit Endorsements"[Press Release], 13 April 2015.
- ↑ 跨境巴士中港大戰 鄉音男+城巴職員互hi, Apple Daily, 29 December 2017.
- ↑ 【十一黃金周】團體辦「勸走自由行」 內地客：我愛來是我的自由, HK01, 30 Sep 2018. (Chinese)
- ↑ 【勸走自由行】譚凱邦「和理非」光復屯門 愛字頭一度「踩場」, Apple Daily, 30 September 2018.
- ↑ Group Tuen Mun 'sends away free-riders' to appeal to Mainland visitors to shop in Shenzhen, HK01, 3 Feb 2019. (Chinese)
- ↑ /59220067 [逼爆香港】內地客自由行來港辦年貨 團體屯門「赶客」促返深圳購物, Apple Daily, 3 February 2019.
- ↑ 【城巴刺針】B3X座椅「遇刺」 橫插5厘米長縫紉針, HK01, 17 Oct 2018. (Chinese)
- ↑ Post of "從事電影業嘅巴士佬"'s Facebook page
- ↑ 【11.12】新界西北烽煙四起 天水圍警署遭縱火 屯門城巴焚毀, HK01, 14 Nov 2019. (Chinese)
- ↑ 不滿搭巴士要企 操普通話大媽大鬧深圳灣 罵職員「你們是土匪」, HK01, 1 Apr 2019. (Chinese)
External Links[]
- Citybus Official Route Information: (to Shenzhen Bay Port)
- Citybus Official Route Information: (to Tuen Mun Town Centre)
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| Italic: Specific service hours/part-time route; →: Outbound service only; ←: Inbound service only; ($): One-way to Central & Western District during morning peak hours on weekdays, two-way To/From Wan Chai District during rest of the day | |||||||||||||||||||||
Template:List of bus and minibus routes connecting to Shenzhen