The New Territories Bus Route 51 is operated by Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB). It runs between Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower) and Sheung Tsuen, via MTR Tsuen Wan Station and Route Twisk, and is the only regular public transport service for the area between Lui Kung Tin Village and Chuen Lung (near Tai Mo Shan Country Park) on Tai Mo Shan.
This route is officially a circular route as listed in the KMB official route information, but under any circumstances, all passengers must alight or repay the fare after the vehicle has arrived at Sheung Tsuen Bus Terminus, therefore it belongs to a fake circular route.[1]
Although the ridership of Route 51 has remained low and the route has been losing revenue for many years, it has been repeatedly suggested to be operated by green minibuses instead, but the GMB operators are not interested and there is no alternative public transport option for the residents along the route. As a result, Route 51 has been transformed into a "social service route"[2] and there is a need for KMB to continue to operate such a service and cannot easily cancel it.
History[]
- 24 June 1961: KMB operated a trial 26 between Jordan Road Ferry and Yuen Long via Route Twisk, which saved time compared with the circuitous Castle Peak Road;
- 28 June 1961: Mid-way stops added enroute.[5]
- 1 December 1961: Due to ideal ridership, Route 26 became a permanent route.
- April 1965: To tie in with the opening of Butterfly Valley Road, buses would observe the road before returning to Castle Peak Road original routing.
- 26 January 1967: Yuen Long terminus was relocated from outside KMB Yuen Long Depot to Kik Yeung Road.
- 25 June 1967: During the 1967 Riots, services of this route was suspended by KMB due to lack of manpower and resumed on 19 August of the same year.
- 30 October 1968: Divert via Nathan Road and Cheung Sha Wan Road (to Jordan Road Ferry: east of Tonkin Street; to Yuen Long: whole section) for both return trips.
- 15 February 1970: Yuen Long terminus was moved from Kik Yeung Road to a new terminus at the junction of Yuen Long Main Road and Fung Nin Road and renamed Yuen Long (West).
- 26 July 1970: Starting from 10:00 am, to tie in with the opening of the "Lai Chi Kok Flyover" across Butterfly Valley Road,[6] the approach to Castle Peak Road was diverted via this flyover when heading towards Yuen Long (West).
- 28 December 1970: change to via Public Square Street and Shanghai Street to Jordan Road when go to Jordan Road Ferry Pier
- 16 August 1972: Divert via Lai Chi Kok Road for both directions:
- Divert via Tonkin Street and Shanghai Street for Jordan Road Ferry direction;
- Divert via Reclamation Street and Yen Chow Street for Yuen Long (West) direction.
Route 51 after Reorganisation[]
- 16 July 1973: In line with the major rationalisation of KMB routes, the route number was changed to "51" and the Kowloon terminus was shortened from Jordan Road Ferry to Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier.
- 25 April 1978: To tie in with the construction of the West Kowloon Corridor, the route was diverted via Pok Man Street, Tai Kok Tsui Road, Cherry Street, Beech Street and Anchor Street when heading towards Yuen Long (West).[7]
- 25 June 1978: In connection with the new traffic management measures implemented for the construction of the Mass Transit Railway, buses would divert to Yen Chow Street via Boundary Street and Hospital Street when heading towards Yuen Long.
- 27 July 1978: From 10:00 am onwards, after reaching Tai Kok Tsui Road, buses were diverted via the unnamed new slip road (connecting the junction of Pok Man Street and Beech Street at Tai Kok Tsui Road) and from Beech Street to Cherry Street for Yuen Long direction to tie in with the conversion of Tai Kok Tsui Road south of Pok Man Street into a northbound one-way road upon the opening of this section of the new slip road.[8]
- 1 December 1978: Yuen Long (West) bus terminus was moved from the junction of Yuen Long Main Road and Fung Nin Road to the new terminus at Kik Yeung Road.
- After reaching the old terminus at Yuen Long Main Road, change to turn back at eastbound via the junction roundabout at Tai Yuk Road when heading to Yuen Long (West), and then to Kik Yeung Road.
- 18 June 1979: Divert via Shanghai Street and Argyle Street instead of Tong Mi Road for Tai Kok Tsui Ferry direction.
- 30 June 1980: Divert via Cheung Wing Road Gyratory towards Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier.[9][10]
- 1 April 1981: To tie in with the construction of the MTR Tsuen Wan Line, Route Twisk was changed to end at Shek Wai Kok Village and no longer connected with Castle Peak Road - Tsuen Wan, and the return journey was diverted via Texaco Road North to and from Castle Peak Road - Kwai Chung and Route Twisk.[11]
- September 1981: KMB proposed to cease operation the following month in view of the excessive losses (over HK$2 million in 1980); however, the Kam Tin and Pat Heung Rural Committees strongly objected and the District Office (now the Home Affairs Department) intervened to persuade KMB to continue such operations.[12] The proposal was then shelved.
- 16 May 1982: Route was truncated to run between Yuen Long (East) and Tsuen Wan MTR Station and the route number was changed to 51M to tie in with the opening of the MTR Tsuen Wan Line.[13]
- For Tsuen Wan MTR Station direction, divert via Texaco Road, Tsuen Fu Street, Tsuen Wah Street, Castle Peak Road and Sai Lau Kok Road after arriving at Texaco Road North;
- From Tsuen Wan MTR Station, divert via Sai Lau Kok Road, Castle Peak Road - Tsuen Wan and Shing Mun Road, then return to Texaco Road North original routing.
- 20 July 1982: Return journeys were diverted to the Tsuen Kam Interchange which opened on the same day.
- 20 August 1982: Tsuen Wan MTR Station Bus Terminus was moved to the bus terminus at Nan Fung Centre Ground Floor.[14]
- 17 April 1983: Yuen Long District terminus was shortened to Kam Tin and at the same time divert via Kam Sheung Road for Tsuen Wan direction.
- 6 July 1984: To tie in with the change of driving direction at Tsuen Wan MTR Station Bus Terminus, both entering and leaving the terminus were diverted to the westbound section of Sai Lau Kok Road which was opened on the same day.[15]
- 16 December 1984: Tsuen Wan terminus was relocated to Tsuen Wan Transport Complex and the return journey was diverted via Tai Ho Road North; at the same time, the route number was changed back to 51.
- 15 November 1989: Section fare from Chuen Lung to Tsuen Wan Ferry was introduced.
- 15 January 1996: Air-conditioned Bus service was introduced.
- 19 October 1998: Upgraded to Full air-conditioned service and converted to single-decker bus service.
- 19 March 2000: Tsuen Wan Terminus was moved to Nina Tower.[16]
- 7 September 2008: Kam Tin Terminus was relocated to Kam Sheung Road Station.[17][18]
- 27 January 2013: Tsuen Wan Terminus relocated to Tsuen Wan West Station to make way for the permanent closure of the Tsuen Wan Transport Complex, which required vacating the Nina Tower Bus Terminus to accommodate the existing GMB routes using the Transport Complex as the terminus.[19][20]
- 4 October 2014: The following changes were implemented to tie in with the Kam Tin Bus Route Rationalisation:[21][22][23]
- Route was shortened and converted to circular operation between Tsuen Wan West Station and Sheung Tsuen, no longer observing Kam Tin Road and Kam Sheung Road;
- Service time was changed to 06:20-23:20;
- Octopus Interchange Concessions with Routes 54, 64K, 64S, 251A, 251B and 251M were introduced;
- Special departures were provided from Sheung Tsuen to Tsuen Wan West Station at 07:30 every Mondays to Fridays.
- 27 June 2015: Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) enquiry service was introduced to this route.[24]
- 5 October 2015: The departure times for the special departure from Sheung Tsuen to Tsuen Wan West Station was advanced from 07:30 to 07:15, initially for a 3-month trial basis[25][26] and later changed to permanent.
- 3 May 2016: Bus Stop "Tai Ho Road Tsuen Wan" outside Alice Nethersole Community Centre at Tai Ho Road was added for Sheung Tsuen direction.[27]
- 25 July 2016: A new stop at "Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen Section 4" on Route Twisk was added for Tsuen Wan West Station direction.[28]
- 8 April 2019: Tsuen Wan Terminus was moved back to Nina Tower.[29][30]
- 10 June 2022: Bus Stop "Chun Ha" on Route Twisk was added for Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower) direction.[31]
- 13 February 2023: First bus time was advanced early from 06:20 to 06:10 daily, and the special departure from Sheung Tsuen during Mondays to Fridays AM peak was cancelled.[32]
- 8 May 2023: Daily first bus hours was advanced to 06:00.[33]
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 5/2023, see here for the referenced link
| from Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower) | |
|---|---|
| Hrs | Mins |
| Mondays to Fridays | |
| 06 | 00, 45 |
| 07 - 23 | 20 |
| Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays | |
| 06 | 00, 30 |
| 07 | 00, 25, 50 |
| 08 - 14 | 05, 20, 35, 50 |
| 15 | 05, 20, 50 |
| 16 - 18 | 20, 50 |
| 19 - 23 | 20 |
- This route provides Estimated Time of Arrival Enquiry Service.
Fares[]
| Journey/Boarding Stop | Air-conditioned Fare |
|---|---|
| Full Fare | $9.4 |
| Section Fare (to Sheung Tsuen) | |
| from Shek Kong Village | $5.8 |
| Section Fare (to Tsuen Wan) | |
| from Sheung Tsuen | $9.4(Reversion to full fare) |
| from Chuen Lung | $5.8 |
| Fare Remarks |
|---|
|
Bus Interchange Concession 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.The interchange concession of e-payment system is only applicable to the interchange between KMB or Long Win Bus departures on other routes) Template:KMB Route 51 Interchange Concession Scheme
LWB A Routes and KMB Interchange Concession Scheme[]
| LWB Airport Routes ("A Routes") and KMB Interchange Concession Scheme | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st leg | Direction | 2nd leg | Direction | Discount for 2nd leg | Time limit |
| A30, A31, A32, A33, A33X, A34, A36, A37, A38, A41, A41P, A42, A43, A43P *, A46, A47X | to Urban | KMB Solely-operated Routes | Any | $6.0 or Actual Fare of KMB leg (Ones with lower fare comes first) |
120mins |
| KMB Solely-operated routes | Any | A30, A31, A32, A33, A33X, A34, A36, A37, A38, A41, A41P, A42, A43, A43P *, A46, A47X | to Airport | ||
|
Note:
＊: For interchanging from KMB Route B1 (Tin Tsz direction) to LWB Route A43P ( Airport direction), the actual fare paid for the first journey will be refunded for the next journey, except that the interchange concession cannot be enjoyed for the first journey of Route B1, otherwise, only the normal (i.e. maximum $6.0) interchange concession will be offered; for interchange from LWB Route A43P (Luen Wo Hui direction) to KMB Route B1 (Lok Ma Chau direction), passengers will be offered a free interchange concession for the second journey, but no interchange discount will be offered for the first journey of route A43P and no other interchange concession will be offered for route B1 thereafter. This special offer is not applicable to other LWB A routes (including Routes A36, A37 and A43). | |||||
Bus Deployments[]
Two Enviro200 Dart 10.4m AAU single-deck buses are scheduled buses for this route and three additional buses of the same model will be allocated for holidays (Running Order Nos. P01, P02 and P03). This is the only Yuen Long District bus route to have its buses dispatched entirely by Lai Chi Kok Depot (L).
Due to the steep gradient of Route Twisk, vehicles used on this route are restricted to the above-mentioned ones with retarders and engine speedometers in accordance with the Transport Department and KMB regulations to ensure safe driving and that all vehicles have obtained a Closed Area Permit for legal access to Route Twisk which is restricted to vehicles of 10 metres or less in length.
| List of Scheduled Buses of Route 51 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| F/N | Plate No. | Depot | Remarks |
| AAU8 | PW4271 | Lai Chi Kok Depot (L) | Runs on this route on a whole-day basis with retarder and foglights |
| AAU14 | PX5111 | ||
The above scheduled buses information is up to date as of 2020 11, forwarded from ACROSS website.The above buses might not be listed according to running orders.
The related content is for reference only and will be updated according to fleet changes (check update list). To check scheduled bus changes, refer to detailed information on ACROSS website.3120
Other than the above scheduled buses, Lai Chi Kok Depot (L) also has 8 Enviro200 Dart 10.4m buses installed with retarders as spare bus purposes for the convenience on dispatching to this route.
| Substitute Buses for Route 51 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| F/N | Plate No. | Depot | Remarks |
| AAU2 | PV3629 | Lai Chi Kok Depot (L) | with retarders and foglights |
| AAU3 | PV4394 | ||
| AAU6 | PV8212 | ||
| AAU10 | PW5614 | ||
| AAU16 | PY2123 | ||
| AAU18 | PY3697 | ||
| AAU22 | PZ1073 | ||
| AAU23 | PZ4255 | ||
Bus Deployment Evolution History[]
During the intial commencement of Route 26 it was deployed with Albion 17 single-deckers, and was replaced by the newly licensed Albion 23[33] on 16 August 1963, and by the same manufacturer's 55 single-deckers in 1976, before the MCW Metrobus 9.7m (M21/DC9306) was added on 18 March 1988.
Due to continued high demand, the entire route was switched to double-decker buses on 5 December 1989, with nine MCW Metrobus 9.7m (M21, M81-M88) equipped with Cummins engines and retarders. For safety reasons, the lower deck was restricted to three standing passengers; by the 1990s, some bus captains no longer heeded this rule and more than three passengers were often standing in the bus during peak hours and on holidays. As a result of the Cummins engines and the ruggedness of the Route Twisk, which carried more passengers on the upper deck than on the lower deck (the top was heavier and the bottom lighter), the chassis became seriously twisted and deformed. As a result, the engines of the M81-M88 were soon swapped with other earlier buses of the same type to run on this route, with constant engine changes.[34]
| List of MCW Metrobus 9.7m buses switched to Cummins engines | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fleet Number/Plate Number | Year of entry | Year of withdrawal from Route 51 |
| M21/DC9306 | 1993 | 1998 |
| M24/DC8707 | 1995 | |
| M30/DD148 | ||
| M45/DE8779 | ||
| M46/DE8929 | ||
| M53/DF1769 | 1997 | |
| M58/DF3520 | 1993 | 1996 |
| M60/DF4467 | 1997 | |
| M61/DG7079 | 1995 | 1998 |
| M63/DG7614 | ||
| M64/DG8084 | ||
| M71/DH145 | ||
| M72/DG8953 | ||
| M74/DH508 | ||
| M75/DH699 | ||
| M76／DH749 | ||
| M77/DH921 | 1997 | |
Although Leyland Victory II (G) and Dennis Jubilant (N) buses with higher climbing capacity can run on Route Twisk without a Closed Area Permit, the climb to the highest bus stop in Hong Kong - Route Twisk (Tai Mo Shan Country Park stop) - is hampered by the low engine output (the two models are equipped with The Gardner 6LXB engine in both models only has a maximum of 180 hp) and the climbing speed is slow, causing the engine to overheat and making it impossible to travel there.
In 1996, single-decker air-conditioned buses were added to this route, using two Dennis Dart (AA) with retarders, and in 1998, the route was upgraded to full air-conditioned service to tie in with the introduction of the Route 251M, with the entire route being served by this type of bus. This was the end of the period when double-decker buses ran on Route Twisk.
By 2011, the original licensed buses had to be retired due to old age and replaced by the Enviro200 10.4m Double-door version (AAU) buses, also equipped with a retarder. As vehicles over 10 metres are prohibited on Route Twisk, KMB has to apply for a Closed Area Permit for these buses.[35][36] With effect from 27 August 2011, the whole route was serviced by this type of bus, thus making the whole route low-floor.
This route was truncated from October 2014 and was operated on a circular basis, and at the same time reducing the number of vehicles to just two. Initially, the vehicles were still dispatched from Tuen Mun Depot (U) until one month later when they were dispatched from Lai Chi Kok Depot (L).
Routing[]
The distance of this route is approx. 26.2km, and the journey time is approximately 72mins. (The average speed is 21.8km/h.)
Via: Tai Ho Road, Tai Ho Road North, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Route Twisk, Kam Tin Road, Sheung Tsuen Bus Terminus, Kam Tin Road, Route Twisk, Tsuen Kam Interchange, Tai Ho Road North and Tai Ho Road
| KMB Route 51 (Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower) ↺ Sheung Tsuen) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Bus stop name | Remarks |
| 1 | Tsuen Wan Town Centre | Nina Tower Bus Terminus  |
||
| 2 | Tai Ho Road | Tai Ho Road Tsuen Wan | ||
| 3 | Tsuen Wan (Sai Lau Kok) | Tai Ho Road North | Tsuen Wan Station |
|
| 4 | Fu Yung Shan | Route Twisk | Pak Tin Pa Tsuen | |
| 5 | Tso Kung Tam | Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen Section 1 | ||
| 6 | Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen Section 2 | |||
| 7 | Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centre | |||
| 8 | Ha Fa Shan Tsuen | |||
| 9 | Tai Kiu Tsuen | |||
| 10 | Chuen Lung | |||
| 11 | San Hoi Tin Tsuen | |||
| 12 | Tai Mo Shan | Tai Mo Shan Country Park # | ||
| 13 | Viewing Point Route Twisk # | |||
| 14 | Shek Kong | Shek Kong Village # | Section Fare begins | |
| 15 | Shek Kong Camp | |||
| 16 | Lui Kung Tin Tsuen # | |||
| 17 | Shek Kong # | |||
| 18 | Pat Heung | Sheung Tsuen Bus Terminus | Circular Route Return Point Reversion to Full Fare | |
| Passengers boarding at or before Shek Kong (Sheung Tsuen direction) who wish to continue to travel to Shek Kong (Tsuen Wan direction) or stops thereafter should repay the fare at Sheung Tsuen Bus Terminus. | ||||
| 19 | Shek Kong | Route Twisk | Shek Kong | |
| 20 | Lui Kung Tin Tsuen | |||
| 21 | Shek Kong Camp | |||
| 22 | Shek Kong Village | |||
| 23 | Tai Mo Shan | Tai Mo Shan Country Park # | ||
| 24 | Tso Kung Tam | Chun Ha | ||
| 25 | Chuen Lung # | Section Fare begins | ||
| 26 | Tai Kiu Tsuen # | |||
| 27 | Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen Section 4 | |||
| 28 | Tso Kung Tam Outdoor Recreation Centre | |||
| 29 | Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen Section 2 | |||
| 30 | Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen Section 1 # | |||
| 31 | Fu Yung Shan | Muk Min Ha Tsuen # | ||
| 32 | Tsuen Wan (Sai Lau Kok) | Tai Ho Road North | Tsuen Wan Station |
|
| 33 | Tsuen Wan Town Centre | Nina Tower Bus Terminus |
||
| #: Compulsory stops | ||||
Route Records[]
- This route has the highest number of compulsory stops (10 for round trips) of any franchised bus route in Hong Kong, all of which are located on Route Twisk.
- The bus stop "Tai Mo Shan Country Park" is the highest bus stop in Hong Kong at 490m above sea level, and is a compulsory stop for both northbound and southbound buses.
- The difference in altitude between the bus stops "Tai Mo Shan Country Park" (southbound) and "Shek Kong Village" (southbound stop) is about 260m, which is the highest difference in altitude between bus stops for ordinary bus routes in Hong Kong.
Ridership[]
Since the introduction of Route 251M via Tai Lam Tunnel, this route has taken over the role of commutes between Kam Tin, Pat Heung and Tsuen Wan, with passenger demand declining significantly and patronage falling by over 80%. Even though there are no other regular public transport services along the section of Route Twisk between Lui Kung Tin Tsuen and Chuen Lung, the resident population along the route is sparse and scattered. The steep topography of the route has led to a high level of wear and tear on buses, resulting in high maintenance costs and significant operating losses over the years. Despite repeated suggestions to switch to green minibus operations, no operators were willing to take over the operation, thus making it a "social service route". In a press release issued in response to the 2013 Policy Address, KMB pointed out that this route "has a low ridership, but there is no alternative public transport for residents along the route, so there is a need for this type of social service route to continue to operate",[2] indicating that KMB will continue to operate this route.
At present, Route 51 is mainly used by tourists and hikers visiting the Tai Mo Shan Country Park, and during some holiday periods, the Enviro200s used can even be overloaded, requiring special trips to be made to relieve passenger demand (as larger buses are unable to access the area).
According to Bus Route Development Programme (BRDP) and other documents, the ridership of this route are as follows:
- 2006: The maximum occupancy rate was 55% during the busiest hour.
- 2014: Before the route's truncation, the average occupancy rate was 21% during the busiest hour and 12% during the off-peak period, with an average daily no. of passengers of about 1,000.[37]
Future Developments[]
Route 51 is heavily utilised on holidays, but due to road restrictions preventing the use of double deck buses, only short-length single-decker buses can be used. The low capacity single-deck buses may not be able to cope with the heavy passenger flow to and from Tai Mo Shan on holidays when demand is higher. Therefore, KMB is exploring the feasibility of resuming double-decker bus services for this route during busier periods. Two E6M class (11.3 m ADL Enviro500 MMC) buses were sent to Route Twisk for trial run on 26 November 2021[38] and a new bus of the same model with a retarder installed (E6M128/YL1297) was sent to Route Twisk for trial run on 9 February 2023.[39]
Related Incidents[]
Traffic Accidents[]
- 24 January 1971: At about 6:00 p.m., a private car hit the right side of a Yuen Long-bound Albion 23 (L91/AD7004) as it approached a bend in Route Twisk near Kwong Pan Tin San Tsuen, injuring one person in the private car.[40]
- 15 August 1971: At about 11:00 am, a Yuen Long-bound Albion 23 (L156/AD7069) came to a bend in the road at 14 Mui Wo Road, Route Twisk, when the right tyre suddenly came off, causing the bus to lose its balance. The bus was knocked onto the right-hand side of the hill and crashed into a kerb, a wire fence and a lamp post before tipping over. The incident resulted in a head injury to a male passenger on the bus.[41][42][43]
- 6 October 1971: At 7.30 a.m., a Yuen Long-bound bus was approaching the pavilion on Route Twisk when it collided head-on with a private car in the opposite lane, which overturned and a male passenger on the bus was injured on the head.[44]
- 22 March 1972: At about 1 p.m., an Albion 23 (L149/AD7062) heading towards Jordan Road Ferry lost control of the vehicle when it reached a ramp and bend in one of the farms on Route Twisk near Tai Kiu Tsuen and ran down a hill about 40 feet, then crashed into a large tree and overturned. The front end of the vehicle was damaged and 15 people were injured, four of whom required hospital treatment.[45][46]
- 7 May 1972: At 7:05pm, a Jordan Road Ferry-bound Albion 23 (L127/AD7040) was hit on the left side by a bus on Route No.6 while turning right from Nathan Road to Public Square Street.[47]
- 18 October 1974: A Yuen Long-bound Albion 23 (L182/AD7096) collided with a military truck on the opposite lane of Kam Tin Road near Shek Kong Vegetable Station, injuring 11 persons on the bus.[48]
- 11 April 1975: At 7.45pm, an Albion 23 (L141/AD7054) heading for Yuen Long lost control and overturned at Shek Kong Village, injuring three people.[49]
- 24 November 1976: In the morning, two Albion 55s heading for Tai Kok Tsui Ferry were involved in two traffic accidents on Route Twisk:[50]
- At 6.55am, L287 (BK8211) went out of control and overturned at Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen, injuring 24 people;
- Fifteen minutes later, L289 (BK8213) crashed into a tree at Chuen Lung Sin Ha Tung,[Remark 1] injuring five passengers.
- 25 February 1977: At about 2pm, a Yuen Long-bound Albion 55 (L286/BK8210) was travelling on Tsuen Kam Road and was about to stop at Shek Kong Village when the bus captain noticed that the foot brake had failed. At the junction with Lam Kam Road, the bus ran over a young cyclist who suddenly ran out of the bus and together with the young cyclist, ran into the Shek Kong Supermarket near the junction, which burnt down and affected seven vehicles in the vicinity. A total of six people were killed and 22 injured in the supermarket, including a cyclist.[51]
- 14 March 1981: At 8:32 a.m., an Albion 23 (L94/AD7007) heading for Tai Kok Tsui Ferry lost control of its vehicle along Route Twisk when it reached Kwong Pan Tin San Tsuen and crashed into a kerb on the roadside, overturning and injuring eight people.[54]
- 13 December 1981: At 5:30pm, an Albion 55 (L289/BK8213) heading for Yuen Long (West) came to a head-on collision with a private car on Route Twisk near the Hong Kong Gun Club. [55]
- 20 January 1985: At about 11:00 p.m., a Kam Tin-bound Albion 55 (L307/BM247) came to a bend in the Route Twisk near the Hong Kong Gun Club and collided head-on with a private car, injuring one passenger on the bus, the driver and two passengers of the private car.[55][56]
- 2 June 1986: A Kam Tin-bound Albion 55 (L282/BK4972) collided with an unladen coach at the junction of Kam Tin Road and Kam Sheung Road due to a brake failure, killing the coach driver and injuring 46 people. Due to the severity of damage beyond repair, the KMB bus was directly written off after the accident on 11 August in the same year.[57]
- 8 February 1989: At 5:15pm, a Tsuen Wan-bound Albion 55 (L304/BM244) was approaching Shek Kong Village on Kam Tin Road when it collided head-on with a private car attempting to cross the lane, which then rebounded and crashed into another private car, injuring 12 people in all.[58][59]
- 9 July 1996: At about 4:00 pm, a Kam Tin-bound MCW Metrobus (M71/DH145) crashed into a van after colliding with a Toyota Coaster (EJ6044) on the PLB Yuen Long - Sheung Tsuen Route on Kam Tin Road near Shek Kong Airport, killing a girl on the minibus and injuring six others.[60]
- 13 February 2013: At around 10am, an Enviro200 Dart (AAU10/PW5614) heading towards Tsuen Wan West Station collided with a van that crossed the lane out of control on Route Twisk near Shek Kong Village, injuring three people.[61]
- 31 May 2017: An Enviro200 Dart (AAU23/PZ4255) heading for Sheung Tsuen was stopped at the "Ha Fa Shan Tsuen" stop on Route Twisk when a lorry parked illegally at the bus stop suddenly slipped back and slid out of the lane, hitting the middle door of the bus and damaging the left glass of the bus. The bus was hit by the left side of the door. The bus brakes were automatically activated by the brake sensors, causing five passengers to fall and injure themselves.[62]
- 8 October 2018: At around 11pm, an Enviro200 Dart (AAU18/PY3697) heading towards Tsuen Wan West Station collided with a private car which crossed the lane at Tsuen Kam Road near Chuen Lung when the former was going downslope. Two people were injured.[63]
- 20 September 2020: At around 3:30pm, a private car crashed into an Enviro 200 Dart (AAU14/PX5111) heading towards Tsuen Wan on Route Twisk near Lui Kung Tin. The front end of the bus was damaged and 2 were injured and hospitalised.[64]
Bus Theft[]
- 30 July 2011: In the late night hours, the rollsigns on three Dennis Darts (including AA36/GF6156 and AA34/GF1742) were stolen while parked in Yuen Long (East) after service hours.[65]
Crowds Watching Frost on Tai Mo Shan in 2016[]
On 23 and 24 January 2016, a cold spell caused the temperature in Hong Kong to drop to near zero, resulting in icy and frosty conditions at Tai Mo Shan, the highest mountain in Hong Kong. This, coupled with the fact that the Vibram HK100 (the first leg of the UltraTrail World Tour, in which the overall winner was even crowned in the evening of 23 January) was held in Hong Kong, and that Tai Mo Shan was the finishing point of the race, resulted in a rare large number of passengers on the last bus of this route, and additional buses had to be deployed temporarily as the scheduled buses could not reach Tsuen Wan West Station on time due to traffic congestion.[66]
The situation did not change on the following day and with the early suspension of the Vibram HK100 in the early hours of the day, the continued crowd and the large number of runners disbanding from the event, the route continued to be overrun with massive passenger demands and it was difficult to meet the additional demand with only original headways. As a result, additional buses had to be deployed to turn around at the "Viewing Point Route Twisk" and return to the "Country Park" Stop to pick up passengers.[67][68]
Traffic Congestion[]
- 30 January 2021: At around 1pm, a private car parked illegally at the Sheung Tsuen Bus Terminus and an Enviro200 Dart (AAU22/PZ1073) was forced to stop at the entrance of the terminus as there was insufficient space to turn. Other vehicles were also unable to enter the terminus, causing traffic congestion in the vicinity.[69]
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
- ↑ Sin Ha Tung (仙蝦洞 or 仙霞洞) is located near the Chuen Lung West Towngas Checkpoint.
Related Articles[]
- KMB Route 26A (Cancelled)
- KMB Route 51P (Cancelled)
- KMB Route 251M
- New Territories GMB Route 80
- New Territories GMB Route 80A (Cancelled)
- New Territories GMB Route 80S (Cancelled)
- Resident Bus Route NR333
- Resident Bus Route NR335
References[]
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51 Passengers board before Sheung Tsuen bus terminus are required to pay bus fare again to continue the journey toward Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower)." [Passenger Notice], February 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "KMB's response to the Chief Executive's Policy Address" [News Release], 16 January 2013.
- ↑ 九龍巴士今起實行 增闢新界三綫 荃錦新線通車 除增廿五號廿六號及廿七 號綫外並延長十六號B綫 (Kowloon Motor Bus will introduce three new routes in the New Territories from now on: New Route Twisk commenced, commencing routes 25, 26 and 27 and extending route 16B), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 24 Jun 1961.
- ↑ 元朗巴士新綫通車 川龍河背兩村村民 盼在村前設站上落 (Yuen Long bus route commenced: Chuen Lung and Ho Pui villagers want to have a stop in front of their village), The Kung Sheung Daily News, 25 Jun 1961.
- ↑ 新界兩條新線 巴士中停站 鄉民深感便利 (Two new bus stops for the New Territories new bus routes provides more convenience for villagers), The Kung Sheung Daily News, 29 Jun 1961.
- ↑ 新荔枝角天橋建成長九百呎 明早開放通車 西行車輛可通往荔枝角大橋及青山道 (The new 900ft long Lai Chi Kok Flyover will be open to traffic tomorrow morning; Westbound traffic can access the Lai Chi Kok Bridge to Castle Peak Road), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 25 Jul 1970.
- ↑ Transport Department Announcement: Transportation measures for the Tai Kok Tsui, posted Wah Kiu Yat Po, 24 Apr 1978.
- ↑ Transport Department Announcement: Transportation measures for the Tai Kok Tsui, posted Wah Kiu Yat Po, 26 Jul 1978.
- ↑ 青山道葵涌道梨木道交界 圓環交匯處啟用 明日起有五項交通措施 (Opening of the roundabout at the junction of Kwai Chung Road and Lei Muk Road, Castle Peak Road; Five traffic measures effective tomorrow), Ta Kung Pao, 29 Jun 1980.
- ↑ 靑山道葵涌道交界 明日起採取新交通措施 (New traffic measures at the junction of Castle Peak Road and Kwai Chung Road from tomorrow), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 29 Jun 1980.
- ↑ 荃錦公路口一段明封閉 配合發展採新交通 (A section of Route Twisk junction to be closed for the development of new traffic), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 31 March 1981.
- ↑ 五十一綫巴士虧蝕過鉅 據傳將於下月停辦 八鄉錦田兩鄉反對 當局有意勸勉維持或增票價彌補 (Route 51 bus service is rumoured to be suspended next month, two villages in Pat Heung and Kam Tin oppose; Gov't intends to maintain or increase fares to compensate), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 26 Sep 1981.
- ↑ 九龍汽車(一九三三)有限公司通告 (Notice from Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd.), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 15 May 1982.
- ↑ 荃灣沙田新巴士總站 由明日開始分別啟用 (New bus terminus at Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin to start operations respectively tomorrow), Ta Kung Pao, 19 August 1982.
- ↑ Transport Department Notice: Traffic Measures at Sai Lau Kok Road and Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, posted Wah Kiu Yat Po, 4 Jul 1984.
- ↑ 荃灣(如心廣場)新巴士總站啟用，多條巴士路線遷移總站 (New Bus Terminus at Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower) Opened, various Bus Routes relocated to new Terminus), Bus Stop Info, Mar 2000.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "KMB Route 51 service extended to Kam Sheung Road Railway Station" [News Release], 3 September 2008.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Relocation of Terminus of KMB Route 51 (Kam Tin - Tsuen Wan (Nina Tower)) from Kam Tin to Kam Sheung Road Station" [Traffic Advice].
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "Change of terminus for KMB Routes 51 and 53" [News Release], 25 January 2013. (Archive, Passenger Notice Archive)
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Temporary public transport arrangements for the permanent closure of the Tsuen Wan Transport Complex" [Traffic Advice], 15 January 2013.
- ↑ 二零一四年元朗區巴士路線發展計劃 進展報告 (2014年9月23日修訂) (Progress Report on Bus Route Development Programme in Yuen Long District 2014 (Revised on 23 September 2014)), Yuen Long District Council Traffic and Transport Committee Paper No. 79/2014, 23 September 2014.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51 Convert to Circular Operation between Tsuen Wan West Station <> Sheung Tsuen" [Passenger Notice].
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51 Service Change" [Promotion Leaflet].
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "146 Additional Routes Provided with “Estimated Time of Arrival” – More than half of KMB & LWB routes" [News Release], 26 June 2015.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51 Adjust the departure of morning special departure" [Passenger Notice], 30 September 2015.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Matters relating to the adjustment of special departure of KMB Route 51" [Traffic Advice], 5 October 2015.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51 Additional Bus Stop" [Passenger Notice], 23 April 2016.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "Additional Bus Stop" [Passenger Notice], 22 July 2016.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Reinstatement of Bus Terminus for KMB route nos .51 and 53" [Traffic Advice], 4 April 2019.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51, 53 Reinstatement of Terminus to Tsuen Wan(Nina Tower)" [Passenger Notice], April 2019.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "51 Additional Bus Stop" [Passenger Notice], June 2022.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "[https://search.kmb.hk/KMBWebSite/AnnouncementPicture.ashx?url=1675393811_4884_0.pdf 51 Advanced first departure to 06:10 and Frequency Adjustment ]" [Passenger Notice], February 2023.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "Advanced first departure to 06:00 and Frequency Adjustment" [Passenger Notice], April 2023.
- ↑ Hong Kong Buses Yearbook 2012: Remembering the Tai Mo Shan Hillclimber MCW.
- ↑ 問AAU2 (About AAU2) (#4), hkitalk.net
- ↑ 元朗廠單層車上牌消息 (News about Yuen Long Depot single-decker bus allocation), hkitalk.net
- ↑ 2014-2015年度元朗區巴士路線發展計劃（修訂）（文件編號：60/2014） (Yuen Long District Bus Route Development Programme 2014-2015 (Revised) (Paper No. 60/2014)), Annex 12.
- ↑ 26/11/2021 九巴派出雙層巴士 (E6M) 於大帽山試路 (26/11/2021 KMB sent a double-decker bus (E6M) to Tai Mo Shan for trial run), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 配手動減速器九巴全新 E6M 上荃錦公路試車 (KMB new E6M with retarder installed was sent to Route Twisk for test running), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 私家車巴士相撞一女重傷 (One woman seriously injured in private car-bus collision), Ta Kung Pao, 25 January 1971.
- ↑ 大帽山巴士脫輪遇險 全車乘客面青 撞毀山坡上石礐幸為大樹所阻 (Tai Mo Shan bus in distress after detached wheel, all passengers face blue: The bus crashed into a boulder on the hillside, but was stopped by a large tree), Ta Kung Pao, 14 July 1971.
- ↑ 元朗巴士墮坡 幸有驚無險 荃錦路上撞毀車頭 (Yuen Long bus falls downhill on Route Twisk, but all passengers survived, front end damaged), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 14 Aug 1971.
- ↑ 驚險車禍 大帽山巴士脫輪 險些翻落百呎懸崖 (Terrifying car accident: Tai Mo Shan bus detaches from its wheel and nearly tumbles off a 100-foot cliff), The Kung Sheung Daily News, 14 Aug 1971.
- ↑ 荃錦公路昨晨意外 私家車撞巴士 男子受傷送院 (Private car crashes into bus in Route Twisk accident yesterday morning, man injured in hospital), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 7 Oct 1971.
- ↑ 荃錦路嚴重交通失事 巴士墮山坡十五人受傷 (Serious traffic accident on Tsuen Kam Road: 15 people were injured when a bus fell down a hill), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 23 Feb 1972.
- ↑ 元朗巴士撞樹傷男女十五人 有四名傷勢較重留醫 (Yuen Long bus crashes into tree, injuring 15 men and women, with four in serious condition in hospital), The Kung Sheung Daily News, 23 Feb 1972.
- ↑ 彌敦道大雨車禍 雙單層巴士相撞 乘客十四人受傷 (Double-decker bus collides with 14 injured passengers in heavy rain crash on Nathan Road), The Kung Sheung Daily News, 8 May 1972.
- ↑ 石崗兵營橋上軍車巴士猛撞 (Military truck rammed a bus on the bridge at Shek Kong Barracks), The Kung Sheung Daily Evening News, 18 Oct 1974.
- ↑ 電單車撞死人 司機棄車逃去 一巴士翻側傷三乘客 (Motorcycle hits and kills a man, driver abandons bus, injures three passengers)，《大公報》，1975年4月12日。
- ↑ 兩輛九巴五十一路車 十五分鐘雙雙失事 (Two KMB Route 51 vehicles both crashed in 15 minutes), The Kung Sheung Daily Evening News, 24 Nov 1976
- ↑ 當年今日之1977年2月25日元朗發生嚴重巴士意外 (Today in the year - 25 February 1977: Serious bus accident in Yuen Long), YouTube.
- ↑ 當年今日：九巴亞比安巴士L286石崗致命車禍 (Today in the year: KMB Albion bus L286 Shek Kong Fatal Accident), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 巴士衝入超級市塲 頓時大火傷亡慘重 (Bus ploughs into superstore, bursts into flames and causes heavy casualties), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 26 Feb 1977.
- ↑ 巴士翻側八乘客傷 數十人從車廂爬出逃生 (Eight passengers injured as bus overturns, dozens crawl out of bus to escape), Ta Kung Pao, 15 Mar 1981.
- ↑ 大帽山荃錦公路上 四車昨連環相撞 巴士私家車五男女受傷 (Four vehicles collided with each other on Tsuen Kam Road in Tai Mo Shan yesterday, injuring five men and five women in a private car), Ta Kung Pao, 14 Feb 1981.
- ↑ 巴士私家車相撞 三名乘客及一司機受傷 (Three passengers and a driver injured in bus-private car collision), Ta Kung Pao, 21 Jan 1985.
- ↑ 石崗巴士沿斜路衝下猛撞旅遊巴 大車禍1死46人傷 (1 dead, 46 injured in Shek Kong bus crash down ramp into coach), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 3 Jun 1986.
- ↑ 荃錦公路上撼巴士再撞房車 新車連撞成廢鐵 交通意外傷12人 事件疑越線扒頭闖禍車內三男女要留醫 (Bus crashes into car on Tsuen Kam Road and 12 injured in traffic accident: Suspected head-on accident, three men and three women inside the bus were hospitalised), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 9 Feb 1989.
- ↑ 私家車欲爬頭肇禍 先撞巴士後撞房車 九名巴士乘客及私家車三人同受傷 (Private car crashes into bus, then caravan; Nine bus passengers and three people from private car injured), Ta Kung Pao, 9 Feb 1989.
- ↑ 錦田公路九巴51線與小巴相撞 (KMB Route 51 bus and minibus crashed on Kam Tin Road), YouTube
- ↑ 客貨車撼九巴 夾困司機 (Van crashed with KMB bus, bus driver trapped), Oriental Daily News, 14 February 2013.
- ↑ 荃錦公路貨車溜後撞九巴 5男女乘客受傷 (Five male and five female passengers injured after truck slips and hits KMB bus on Route Twisk), Apple Daily, 31 May 2017.
- ↑ 私家車大帽山越線 迎撼巴士七人車釀兩傷 (Two injured as private car with seven people crosses lane at Tai Mo Shan and crashes a bus), Apple Daily, 29 October 2018.
- ↑ 大帽山私家車撞巴士 (Private car crashes into bus in Tai Mo Shan), "高登討論區 HKGolden" Facebook Page, 20 Sep 2020.
- ↑ 舊式車逐漸退役 物品有收藏價值 巴士迷盜九巴車頭牌布 (Older buses set to retire soon, with items having collection values: Bus enthusiasts stole away KMB front end rollsigns), Apple Daily, 2 August 2011.
- ↑ 載滿乘客的51尾班車(加班車) (KMB Route 51 last bus (additional bus) full of passengers), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 有生之年，第一次見51咁多車 (1st time seeing so much buses on Route 51 in my life), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 寒冬下的51號線，有否特別安排 (Are there special arrangements for Route 51 during very cold weather?), hkdiscuss.
- ↑ 寶馬私家車上村總站入口違泊 兩輛 51 巴士被困 (BMW private car parked illegally at Sheung Tsuen B/T entrance causing two KMB Route 51 buses to be stuck), hkitalk.net.
External Links[]
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| Remarks: (#) MTR Sunny Bay Station, Penny's Bay (Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Bus Terminus) and Ma Wan are all located in Tsuen Wan District, please read the Boundary Maps of District Council Constituency Areas for reference. Italic: Specific service hours/part-time route; →: Outbound service only; ←: Inbound service only | |||||||||||||||||||
Template:List of Yuen Long District Bus Routes
KMB Route 51M