The Kowloon Green Minibus Route 73 is operated by Main River Transportation Limited (長江運輸有限公司) (Passenger Service Licence (PSL) No. 11263C) under Chiap Shing Motor. It runs between Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre and Festival Walk, via Shatin Pass Estate, Chuk Yuen Estate, Tin Wang Court and Hong Kong Baptist University.
This route is officially a circular route as listed in the according to Transport Department's Schedule of Services, but except peak hours, all passengers must alight after the vehicle has arrived at Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre, therefore it belongs to a fake circular route.
History[]
- 22 March 2002: The Transport Department invited public tenders for the operating rights of 7 groups of 11 new green minibus (GMB) routes, in which this route was one of them.[1]
- 1 September 2002: Route 73 entered service, running circular between Festival Walk Public Transport Interchange and Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre. [2]
- 5 February 2017: A new two-way section fare between Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre and Chuk Yuen was launched following the cancellation of Route 65. [3]
- 27 October 2022: Real-time Arrival Information System was introduced to this route. [4]
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[]
| From Tsz Wan Shan | From Festival Walk | Headways (mins) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | ||
| 06:20 - 07:20 | 06:40 - 07:20 | 8／12 |
| 07:20 - 10:00 | 07:20 - 10:00 | 8 |
| 10:00 - 17:00 | 10:00 - 17:00 | 8／12 |
| 17:00 - 21:00 | 17:00 - 21:00 | 8 |
| 21:00 - 23:40 | 21:00 - 00:00 | 8／12 |
The actual headway is more frequent then scheduled ones, with an average frequency of just only about 2-3 minutes on Mondays to Fridays.
Special trip[]
| Festival Walk ↺ Tsz Wan Shan (South) ● (omit Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre) |
|---|
| Mondays to Fridays |
| 07:15 - 07:45 |
| No service on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays |
- This route provides Real-time Arrival Information on the Transport Department“HKeMobility” mobile app.
Fares[]
| Fare chart (to Festival Walk) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Boarding stop ＼ Alighting stop |
Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre or after |
Chuk Yuen Market or after |
Cornwall Street or after |
| Chuk Yuen Market or before |
$4.6 # | ||
| Festival Walk or before |
$7.9 | $5.5 | $3.1 ＊ |
| Fare chart (to Tsz Wan Shan) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Boarding stop ＼ Alighting stop |
Festival Walk or after |
Tin Wang Court or after |
Chuk Yuen Market or after |
| Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre or before |
$7.9 | $4.7 | $4.6 |
| Fare Remarks |
|---|
|
MTR interchange concessions[]
| and MTR Interchange Concessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st leg | 2nd leg | Discounted amount | Time limit |
| ' | MTR | 50￠ | 90 minutes |
| MTR | ' | ||
Notes:
| |||
Minibus deployments[]
According to the Transport Department's Schedule of Services, this route this route require a total of 6 minibuses to provide service. 5 minibuses are 19-seater minibuses. The total passenger capacity in each direction during the peak hour is not less than 136.
This route has a total of 14 Toyota Coaster minibuses, including 7 16-seater minibuses and 7 19-seater minibuses
This route was once served by 3 16-seater Mitsubishi Rosa diesel minibuses (ES4206, KS6082 and LE5337), whereas these minibuses were used only few years, until they were retired in 2008 and 2009 and were replaced by the Toyota Coaster 6th generation minibuses. In November 2017, this route introduced the first 19-seater Toyota Coaster minibus At the same time, some part of older LPG-minibuses were transferred to Win Access Investment's Kowloon Route 72.
| List of Kowloon Route 73 minibuses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plate no. | Type code [Remark 1] | Seat(s) | Destination sign config. | Remarks |
| ED7933 | 2005 5LS2 | 16-seater high adopt seat | Rollsign | Equipped with Lower-adopt body component Originally a part of Red Minibus Yuen Po Route and Yuen Tong Route Was also a formerly vehicle on Kwok Chung Motor Car's New Territories Route 803 Joined in June 2020 |
| KM5725 | 2019 7DL | 19 seater factory 3-point seat belt seat | Patent Enterprises EDS | Equipped with an automatic transmission Entered service in 6 March 2019 Plate originally belonged to a 2002 5LS |
| KM6134 | 2015 6DS | 16 seater factory 3-point seat belt seat | Rollsign | Original plate number KP6082[Remark 2] Originally a part of Red Minibus Aberdeen - Mong Kok Route and Wah Fu Tsuen - Wong Chuk Hang Route Current Plate number originally belonged to a 2002 5LS Joined in June 2024 then changed the plate number |
| LE5337 | 2023 7DL | 19 seater factory 3-point seat belt seat | Transfull EDS | Entered service in August 2023 Plate Originally belonged to a Mitsubishi Rosa (2003 BE649E) and Toyota Coaster (2008 6DS) |
| NN584 | 2008 6LS | 16-seater high adopt seater | Rollsign | Originally a part of Red Minibus Ping Tsuen Route Was also a part of Mong Tsuen Route and Shek Mong Route Joined in March 2022 |
| PS8439 | 2011 6LS | Originally a part of Shau Shek Route and Causeway Bay - Belevadere Garden Route Joined in March 2022 | ||
| RV5202 | 2013 6DS | Formerly a vehicle on King On Transportation's New Territories Route 313 Joined in September 2019 | ||
| RW6155 | Originally a part of Red Minibus Tsz Mong Route and Wong Mong Route Was also a part of Red Minibus Kung Mong Route Joined in September 2019 | |||
| VD264 | 2017 7DL | 19-seater Vegaset | Patent Enterprises EDS | Equipped with an automatic transmission, push-out doors and sealed windows Entered service in November 2017 |
| VG8059 | 2018 7DL | Equipped with an automatic transmission, push-out doors and sealed windows Entered service in February 2018 | ||
| VK7685 | Equipped with an automatic transmission, push-out doors and sealed windows Entered service in April 2018 | |||
| VM5301 | Equipped with an automatic transmission, push-out doors and sealed windows Entered service in June 2018 | |||
| VM6140 | ||||
| WR802 | 2015 6DS | 16 seater factory 3-point seat belt seat | Rollsign | Original plate number EC9282[Remark 3] Originally was a part of Red Minibus Wong Mong Route Was also a formerly part of Red Minibus Wong Tsing Route, Chew Luen's Red Minibus Kwun Mong Route and Kwun Tsing Route Joined in July 2020 |
| List of Former minibus under route 73 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plate no | Model | Type no | Retired/withdrawal date | Whereabouts | Substituted vehicle(s) |
| EP1183 | Toyota Coaster | 4th generation | November 2017 | Retired | VD264 (2017 7DL) |
| ES4206 | Mitsubishi Rosa | 2002 BE639E | June 2009 | Toyota Coaster (2009 6LS) of the same plate | |
| Toyota Coaster | 2009 6LS | April 2018 | Transferred to Win Access Investment's Kowloon Route 72 | VK7685 (2018 7DL) | |
| GK6438 | 2005 5LS2 | June 2018 | VM6140 (2018 7DL) | ||
| KM2903 | 2002 5LS | June 2020 | Retired | ED7933 (2005 5LS2) | |
| KM4585 | September 2019 | RV5202 (2013 6DS) | |||
| KM4599 | July 2020 | WR802 (2015 6DS) | |||
| KM5012 | 2022 | ||||
| KM5725 | March 2019 | 2019 7DL of the same plate | |||
| KM6134 | 2022 | 2015 6DS of the same plate | |||
| KM6236 | September 2019 | RW6155 (2013 6DS) | |||
| KM6473 | 2021 | NN584 (2008 6LS) | |||
| KP5428 | PS8439 (2011 6LS) | ||||
| KS6082 | Mitsubishi Rosa | 2002 BE639E | August 2009 | Toyota Coaster (2009 6LS) of the same plate | |
| Toyota Coaster | 2009 6LS | February 2018 | Transferred to Win Access Investment's Kowloon Route 72 | VG8059 (2018 7DL) | |
| LE5337 | Mitsubishi Rosa | 2003 BE649E | October 2008 | Retired | Toyota Coaster (2008 6DS) of the same plate |
| Toyota Coaster | 2008 6DS | August 2023 | 2023 7DL of the same plate | ||
| PP5940 | 2010 6LS | June 2018 | Transferred to Win Access Investment's Kowloon Route 72 | VM5301 (2018 7DL) | |
This section was last updated on 10/2024202410
Routing[]
- Circular full trip: The distance of this route is approx. 12.0km, and the journey time is approximately 40mins. (The average speed is 18km/h.)
- To Festival Walk: The distance of this route is approx. 6.0km, and the.
- To Tsz Wan Shan: The distance of this route is approx. 6.0km, and the.
- The names listed in the table below under "Major Stop Locations" are the fixed pick-up/drop-off points for this route, and the part of the name with an underline refers to the name commonly used by passengers (including Cantonese transliterations of the commonly-used Chinese names)
- Passengers may be picked up and dropped off freely along the route outside the restricted area unless otherwise stated.
Regular[]
To Festival Walk[]
Via: Wai Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan Road, Shatin Pass Road, Chuk Yuen Road, Junction Road, Waterloo Road, Cornwall Street and Tat Chee Avenue
| Kowloon GMB Route 73 (Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre → Festival Walk) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Major stop locations | Remarks |
| 1 | Tsz Wan Shan | Wai Wah Street | ||
| 2 | Tsz Wan Shan Road |
|
Hail-and-ride section | |
| 3 | Chuk Yuen | Shatin Pass Road |
|
|
| 4 | Chuk Yuen Road |
|
Section fare begins here Two-way section fare ends here | |
|
||||
| Wang Tau Hom |
|
|||
| 5 | Kowloon Tong | Junction Road |
|
|
| 6 | Cornwall Street |
|
Cash section fare begins here | |
| 7 | Yau Yat Chuen | Tat Chee Avenue |
|
|
| 8 |
|
|||
To Tsz Wan Shan Centre[]
Via: Tat Chee Avenue, Cornwall Street, Waterloo Road, Junction Road, Chuk Yuen Road, Shatin Pass Road, Tsz Wan Shan Road and Wai Wah Street
| Kowloon GMB Route 73 (Festival Walk → Tsz Wan Shan Shopping Centre) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Major stop locations | Remarks |
| 1 | Yau Yat Chuen |
|
||
| 2 | Kowloon Tong | Cornwall Street |
|
Hail-and-ride section |
| 3 | Junction Road |
|
||
| 4 | Wang Tau Hom | Chuk Yuen Road |
|
|
| Chuk Yuen |
|
Section fare begins here Hail-and-ride section | ||
|
Section fare begins here | |||
| 5 | Shatin Pass Road |
|
||
| 6 | Tsz Wan Shan | Tsz Wan Shan Road |
|
Hail-and-ride section |
| 7 | Wai Wah Street | |||
Special trip[]
Via: Tat Chee Avenue, Cornwall Street, Waterloo Road, Junction Road, Chuk Yuen Road, Shatin Pass Road, Tsz Wan Shan Road, (Po Kong Village Road, Tsz Wan Shan (South) Bus Terminus) #, Yuk Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan Road, Shatin Pass Road, Chuk Yuen Road, Junction Road, Waterloo Road, Cornwall Street and Tat Chee Avenue
# Remark: Drivers normally omit these streets, with the circular point located at Tak Oi Secondary School.
| Kowloon GMB Route 73 (Festival Walk ↺ Tsz Wan Shan (South) ●) [Special trip] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Major stop locations | Remarks |
| 1 | Yau Yat Chuen |
|
||
| 2 | Kowloon Tong | Cornwall Street |
|
Hail-and-ride section |
| 3 | Junction Road |
|
||
| 4 | Wang Tau Hom | Chuk Yuen Road |
|
|
| Chuk Yuen |
|
Section fare begins here Hail-and-ride section | ||
|
Section fare begins here Hail-and-ride section | |||
| 5 | Shatin Pass Road |
|
||
| 6 | Tsz Wan Shan | Tsz Wan Shan Road |
|
Hail-and-ride section |
| 7 | Most trips omit this stop, with the circular point at Tak Oi Secondary School | |||
| 8 | Tsz Wan Shan Road |
|
circular point located at Tak Oi Secondary School | |
| 9 |
|
Hail-and-ride section | ||
| 10 | Chuk Yuen | Shatin Pass Road |
|
|
| 11 | Chuk Yuen Road |
|
Section fare begins here | |
| Wang Tau Hom |
|
|||
| 12 | Kowloon Tong | Junction Road |
|
|
| 13 | Cornwall Street |
|
Cash section fare begins here | |
| 14 | Yau Yat Chuen | Tat Chee Avenue |
|
|
| 15 |
|
|||
| During Monday to Friday AM peak hours, the minibus on this special trip displays the paper plate "往學校邨" (To School Village) on the windshield, whereas other minibuses specially displays the paper plate "不經學校邨" (Not via School Village) on the windshield. | ||||
Ridership[]
As Tsz Wan Shan lacks direct public transport services to the New Territories, many residents choose to take this route to Kowloon Tong Station to interchange with the East Rail Line. In addition, this route passes through Chuk Yuen and Wang Tau Hom, and although there used to be a minibus route 65 between Chuk Yuen and Tsz Wan Shan, and there is now a route 72 between Chuk Yuen and Festival Walk, the actual headway of this route is more frequent, and the patronage is still not bad.
This route used to have section fares only from Chuk Yuen to Tsz Wan Shan, which caused residents to reflect that the fares were not the same, so some District Councillors suggested that section fares should be introduced for the opposite direction.[5] The section fare was eventually introduced on 5 February 2017 to tie in with the cancellation of Route 65, and the fare from Chuk Yuen Market to Tsz Wan Shan Centre was also reduced accordingly.
According to the data of Transport Department, the daily passenger volume of this route is as follows:
- Early 2019: 7,100 passengers.[6]
Gallery[]
.JPG "KM4599@KLGMB73(1018).JPG (2.17 MB)")
A minibus on Route 73 just departed from Festival Walk
A minibus on Route 73 was passing through Tin Wang Court
A minibus on Route 73 was turning from Shatin Pass Road to Tsz Wan Shan Road
More pictures, photos and related information about this article are available in the following Gallery Page:
Remarks[]
- ↑ The group of codes (if any) placed after the model name Toyota Coaster is used only by transport enthusiasts, and is not referred to as such by anyone else (including insiders).
- ↑ That plate number originally belonged to a 2002 5LS on a part of Shau Mong Route, The plate number of this 5LS was changed as TG8831 in April 2015
- ↑ The plate number originally belonged to a 4th generation on a part of Chew Luen's Red Minibus Kwun Mong Route
Related articles[]
- KMB Route 3A (Cancelled)
- Kowloon GMB Route 65 (Cancelled)
- Kowloon GMB Route 72
References[]
- ↑ G. N. 1708: Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations (Cap 374)--Packages of Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Routes in Kowloon and the New Territories, HKSAR Government Gazette Vol. 06 Issue No. 12, 22 March 2002.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "New Green Minibus Service Route No. 73 Festival Walk Public Transport Terminus to Tsz Wan Shan Centre (Circular)" [Traffic Advice], August 2002.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Service Cessation of Kowloon Green Minibus (GMB) Route No. 65 (Tsz Wan Shan (South) - Chuk Yuen)" [Traffic Advice], 19 January 2017.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Real-time arrival information system for Green Minibuses extended to cover all routes" [News Bulletin], 27 October 2022.
- ↑ 有關慈雲山區巴士及小巴交通服務意見 (On the service suggestions for bus and minibus routes in Tsz Wan Shan), Wong Tai Sin District Council Traffic and Transport Panel Paper No. 15/2016.
- ↑ Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2019-20 Reply No. THB(T)147
External links[]
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