The new NLB logo which began to appear on MAN A95 bus bodies since February 2018
NLB's new logo and company name appearance since 2019
The New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited (新大嶼山巴士（1973）有限公司), abbr.NLB (嶼巴), is the third franchised bus company in Hong Kong. Currently, the Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings is the major shareholder of NLB, and the Chairman of the Group is Wong Leung Pak (黃良柏).
As its name suggests, NLB has always been based on Lantau Island and currently operates a number of routes between Mui Wo, Tai O, Ngong Ping Po Lin Monastery and Tung Chung, as well as airport bus routes between HZMB Hong Kong Port, the Hong Kong International Airport and Mui Wo, and holiday routes from Hung Hom Ferry to Ngong Ping Po Lin Monastery, etc. In 2007, NLB extended its service area to the Shenzhen Bay Port and operates the Shenzhen West Express routes between MTR Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai stations.
As at the end of December 2018, NLB operated 27 routes with a fleet of 155 buses, carrying an average of 84,000 passengers per day [1]. As at April 2019, NLB has a fleet of 151 buses. [2]
Difference with urban franchised bus companies[]
The fares, service hours and frequency of each New Lantao Bus (NLB) routes are governed by the Public Bus Services Ordinance. Due to the topographical constraints in South Lantau where some sections of the road are steeply sloping and have sharp bends (in particular Keung Shan Road and Tai O Road), which are not suitable for the use of low-floor buses, bus routes plying these sections of the road have all along been served by non-low-floor coach-type buses [3], which are in fact franchised buses and do not require Passenger Service Licences (PSLs). Under the road traffic legislation, buses operating on bus-only lanes are not required to obtain a Bus Lane Permit.
According to the approved Scale of Fares for NLB, weekday fares for South Lantau and North and South Lantau routes are lower than holiday fares. This is mainly due to the fact that holiday passengers are mostly infrequent visitors to Lantau, which helps to reduce the travelling expenses of both South Lantau residents and daily commuters. If the arrangement of charging higher fares on Sundays and public holidays is abolished, the weekday fares of these routes would need to be adjusted upwards in order for NLB operations to be financially viable. [4]
The demand for travelling to and from south Lantau on weekdays and holidays varies greatly. At present, the Transport Department (TD) has given special approval for NLB to operate franchised bus services on holidays and days of high traffic demand through hiring of coaches, and to provide six franchised bus services - 1S, 2S, 11S, 13S, 21S, 23S [5] - operated on a group hire basis. This arrangement can meet holiday passenger demand and reduce Lantau Bus's need to maintain a large fleet of buses which only operates on holidays. The revenue generated from bus hiring was fully credited to Lantau Bus's franchised bus service account to supplement NLB's loss on weekdays, improve its overall network revenue and provide a sustainable franchised bus service for Lantau residents.
On the other hand, allowing bus captains who are more familiar with the local road environment and buses that meet the specifications and equipment to cope with the holiday traffic demand will help manage the traffic between Tung Chung Road and South Lantau and maintain road safety and smoothness. Taking into account the long distance between Lantau Island and the urban areas, NLB has provided quarters[6] for its bus captains in the vicinity of Mui Wo and Tai O, with a view to minimising the travelling time of the bus captains so that they can enjoy more rest time.
At the same time, NLB enjoys the same rights and obligations as other franchised bus companies, such as exemption from fuel tax, an 18-year age limit for buses, and annual bus route planning with the Transport Department. At present, NLB allows passengers to bring bicycles onto buses equipped with luggage racks or places for placing luggage, and each bus can only carry a maximum of one bicycle per trip. Passengers are required to remove the wheels of their bicycles and ensure that their bicycles are securely fastened during the journey. [6]
NLB is relatively simple in terms of day-to-day operations (website, passenger notices, stop signs, route maps) and service management, as their fleet and routes are not as large as those of other urban franchised bus companies.
History[]
Bus services on Lantau Island before establishment of NLB[]
- See also: Kowloon Motor Bus, Lantao Motor Bus, Lantao Bus, United Lantau Bus, Ngong Ping Bus and Tai O Public Bus
On 29 April 1960, Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) introduced a franchised bus route (now NLB Route 1) on Lantau Island between Mui Wo and Cheung Sha via the Lantau Road (now known as South Lantau Road), which was operated by two buses and subsequently extended twice to Shui Hau and Shek Pik due to the extension of the Lantau Road. KMB ceased operation of the route in November 1965 due to the remoteness of Lantau Island, where few people travelled on weekdays but faced competition from white-plate buses on holidays, resulting in heavy losses.
In order to maintain the island's transport services, the residents of Lantau Island purchased the two original buses serving the route and maintained the service under the name of Lantao Motor Bus Company Limited. Subsequently, the Lantau residents established the United Lantau Bus Company, Ngong Ping Bus Company and Tai O Public Bus Company. Competition among these three companies was very keen between 1971 and 1972, especially at the Mui Wo Ferry Pier Bus Terminus. Whenever the ferry from Central to Mui Wo was berthing, the staff of the three companies swarmed to compete for passengers [7] and even launched a fare reduction war, with the fare for a round trip between Mui Wo and Tai O being gradually reduced from $3.0 to $1.0, resulting in heavy losses. In the end, after the co-ordination of the Government, the three bus companies entered into a joint operation of their routes in mid-March 1973 [8], and the New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited was established on 11 May of the same year.
Early 70s[]
On 1 April 1974, The New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited (NLB) obtained the non-exclusive right to operate Lantau bus routes for a period of five years, and at the same time took over the operation of the routes originally operated by villagers from Tai Long Wan between Mui Wo and Tai Long Wan. Under the arrangement of the Transport Department, NLB formally assigned route numbers to its bus routes with effect from 1 December of the same year [9] and the "exclusive right" was not granted until 1 April 1979. [Remark 1]
The early routes operated by New Lantao Bus are as follows:
| Route information when NLB was established | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bus Route | Origin | Destination |
| 1 | Mui Wo | Tai O |
| 2 | Mui Wo | Ngong Ping |
| 3 | Mui Wo | Tung Chung |
| 4 | Mui Wo | Cheung Sha Beach |
| 5 | Mui Wo | Tai Long Wan |
| 6 | Tung Chung | Tai O |
| 7 | Mui Wo | Pui O |
- Remarks
- Route 4 was extended to Tong Fuk from 1 April 1980.
- The above Route 5 was its first generation, cancelled on 1 March 1977.
- Route 6 entered service only on 3 September 1979, specially serving students to and from Tung Chung.
- Route 7 was just only an unregular and unnumbered route coping with passenger demand, which became a regular route and was given official numbering on 1 September 1983.
- Besides, NLB operated an unnumbered route between Mui Wo and Shui Hau during mid-1970s, which was later extended to Shek Pik and became an official route in 22 October 1978 with the number 5.
- NLB once planned to launch Routes 9 (Mui Wo Ferry Pier to Mui Wo Old Town) and 10 (Keung Shan to Sha Lo Wan) [10], however these did not materialise in the end.
Late 70s to 80s[]
NLB's old emblem before 2018, with the middle still using the map of Lantau Island in the 1970s, with Tung Chung and Chek Lap Kok not yet reclaimed
On 1 January 1975, all New Lantao Bus routes were standardised on one fare, and "one-person control" fare collection mode was introduced in 1983, except for some routes with two-way section fares where the implementation of "one-person control" was deferred. Taking Route 1 as an example, NLB had planned to install ticket vending machines to solve the problem of two-way sectional fares, and later introduced a system whereby passengers would buy the corresponding sectional tickets from the driver when they boarded the bus and return them to the driver when they alighted, and the "one-person-control, one-ticket-seller for each departure" mode was finally implemented on this route in 1987.
NLB explored the introduction of double-decked buses in the late 1970s to cope with the increase in passenger volume, especially during holidays. Under the Government's arrangement, the company borrowed a short-bodied Guy Arab V (LS43) from China Motor Bus (CMB) on 30 May 1977 to travel from Stonecutters Island to Silvermine Bay by British Forces Landing Craft and to simulate a loaded trip between Mui Wo and Tai O. The test was originally scheduled for 1 April, but was postponed due to failure to identify a suitable vessel to carry the bus [11]. The test results showed that double-decked buses had little problem travelling between Mui Wo and Cheung Sha, except for the road leading to Tai O which was curved and narrow with a lot of trees along the roadside, making it hazardous [12]. The TD also advised that NLB could provide a scheduled double-deck bus service between Mui Wo and Tong Fuk upon completion of the pruning of trees along the route and the improvement works of the section of South Lantau Road between Cheung Sha and Tong Fuk. [13]
In 1980, NLB purchased two Leyland Victory IIs to test the performance of the buses and to enable double-deck buses to carry passengers on Lantau Island for the first time. NLB then purchased 15 Leyland Victory IIs between 1981 and 1991, of which eight were new buses and seven were second-hand buses purchased from KMB. However, due to the limited role of the Leyland Victory II on Lantau Island, 10 of them were sold to Citybus in 1993 so that Citybus could take over 26 ex-CMB routes in September 1993, and the remaining 5 were retired from the late 1990s to 2001 respectively.
With the relaxation of the origin restriction on franchised buses in 1984, NLB started to purchase lower cost Isuzu single-decker buses, both new and second-hand from the same company.
90s[]
New Lantao Bus (NLB) launched the Air-conditioned Luxury Express Bus routes in June 1991, hiring a fleet of single-decker air-conditioned coaches from Kwoon Chung Bus on Saturdays and public holidays, and transporting them to Mui Wo Ferry Pier [14] with non-stop service to their destinations. The Big Buddha at Ngong Ping was inaugurated on 29 December 1993, and NLB launched new Routes 21 and 23 to and from Tai O and Tung Chung respectively in March and April of the following year.
In January 1992, Kwoon Chung Bus acquired the New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited at a cost of HK$40 million and became a member of the Kwoon Chung Group. Kwoon Chung Bus' first priority was to change the colours of the entire New Lantao Bus fleet (at that time, the green colours of its fleet indicated that the buses were non-air-conditioned while the blue colours indicated that the buses were air-conditioned), to second its coaches to NLB routes during holidays and to purchase a large number of air-conditioned buses so that air-conditioned buses could be gradually added to the routes of the whole island. On the other hand, NLB had been phasing out non-air-conditioned buses or retrofitting some of its original non-air-conditioned Isuzu MT112K with air-conditioning systems [Remark 2]. All Isuzu MT112Ls were retired in March 2006 and the New Lantao Bus fleet was fully air-conditioned.
With the opening of the Lantau Link and the North Lantau Highway in May 1997, NLB deployed additional resources to enhance the bus services between North and South Lantau, and introduced the first overnight route N13 between Tung Chung and Mui Wo. NLB's concessionary fares for seniors were extended to Sunday bus services [15]. With the introduction of traffic control on the rugged Tung Chung Road, NLB introduced a number of "chartered routes" for tour groups to hire vehicles to travel between Tung Chung and South NLB, which were officially franchised bus routes with separate numbering [16]. When the Hong Kong International Airport opened in July 1998, NLB's first airport bus route, A35, came into service.
Millenium era[]
With the gradual expansion of Tung Chung New Town into Caribbean Coast in the north and Yat Tung Estate in the west since 2000, NLB has been able to take advantage of the situation by introducing new Routes 37 and 38 shuttling within the new town, and in 2001, NLB launched the historic Holiday Recreation Route 1R from Pier Bus Terminus to Ngong Ping, which was the first bus route in Hong Kong to travel from Kowloon to South Lantau. On 6 January 2003, NLB also took the unprecedented step of offering interchange concessions with LWB and Citybus to facilitate Tung Chung-bound passengers from the urban to interchange with buses to Tung Chung North and Yat Tung Estate. [17][18]
With the opening of the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail (later renamed Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car) on 18 September 2006, New Lantao Bus, whose capacity was directly threatened, launched the Lantau Pass and Tai O Pass concessionary ticket packages on the following day to save the day, replacing the original day passes [19][20] and joined hands with the cable car company to launch the cable car package, which allows passengers to travel between Ngong Ping and other major attractions on Lantau Island such as Tai O and Mui Wo, has helped to promote Lantau's major scenic spots to tourists [21]. In fact, the Ngong Ping group of routes accounted for about 40% of the New Lantao Bus revenue before the cable car came into operation; however, this figure has been sharply reduced to about 20% after the cable car came into operation. [22]
In 2007, NLB was awarded a franchise to operate a bus service between Shenzhen Bay Port and Yuen Long, and introduced Route B2 on 1 July, which was NLB's first bus route to break away from its existing service area on Lantau Island; the following year, NLB also introduced a new branch route, B2P, which initially operated a bus service between Shenzhen Bay Port and Tin Shui Wai on Saturdays and public holidays, and then was upgraded to a daily service on 13 July 2009, the service was upgraded to a daily service and Route B2 ceased to serve Tin Shui Wai from that date onwards.
All Isuzu single-decker buses, except LV423R, have been retired from service since August 2010 and have been almost fully replaced by MAN models (including the Chinese-made Young Man JNP6122G).
The Government launched the first phase of the concessionary fare of $2 per trip for the elderly and persons with disabilities on the MTR in June 2012, and extended the concessionary fare to the routes operated by the four franchised bus companies in the second phase in August of the same year, and launched the third phase of the concessionary fare on 3 March 2013, which extended the concessionary fare to all routes operated by the ferries and NLB; however Route A35 and the special services provided by way of booking and group hiring (i.e. the six designated S Routes), were not included in the concession scheme.
The Transport Department announced on 29 November 2017 that New Lantao Bus had won the franchise for two of the feeder bus routes to/from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, namely between the Airport and Tung Chung Area 39 (Mun Tung Estate) [23] with route numbers B4 and B6 respectively.
Low-floor bus[]
When the Government granted a new franchise for NLB in 2015, additional terms were stipulated to require the company to improve the facilities and installations on its buses to enhance the safety of its bus services and provide barrier-free facilities for the elderly and persons with disabilities, which included that newly purchased buses must be of low-floor and wheelchair-accessible design, and wheelchair berths and other related facilities must be provided inside the bus compartments. At that time, about 40% of NLB's fleet (about 57 buses) were low-floor and wheelchair accessible buses which mainly served routes outside South Lantau (i.e. Tung Chung and the New Territories).
However, NLB is unable to deploy wheelchair accessible low-floor buses to serve South Lantau because of the steep gradient and sharp bends along many sections of the road in the area. The TD has also received views from time to time from members of the public in NLB that NLB's coach-type single-decker buses have a high floor and passengers have to use steps for boarding and alighting, thus failing to cater for the needs of the elderly. In response to the development of North Lantau Hospital and Tung Chung North, the bus company introduced supplementary Routes 37H and 37M in 2015, with three additional 29-seater single-decker buses and five additional single-deck buses serving the area respectively [24].
Meanwhile, to cater for the needs of wheelchair-bound passengers, NLB introduced four 11-metre low-floor single-deck buses of MAN RC2 modified for wheelchair access in late 2015 and deployed them to serve some of the South Lantau routes (e.g. Routes 11 and 23) for testing, which were found to be generally acceptable. Although the four low-floor single-deck buses could facilitate boarding and alighting of elderly and mobility-handicapped passengers, and their total carrying capacity was comparable to that of the coach-type single-deck buses that have been used by NLB, some South Lantau residents had reservations about NLB's deployment of the four low-floor single-deck buses to serve South Lantau bus routes due to the relative reduction in the number of seats that the buses could provide, which was in the range of 13 to 17. [25]
On the other hand, TD has also received requests from the local community for deploying low-floor buses to serve routes to and from North Lantau Hospital to facilitate the elderly and mobility-handicapped passengers to travel to and from the hospital. NLB has therefore redeployed two of its low-floor buses to serve Route 37H, and plans to fully utilise low-floor single-decker buses on the route in early 2017.
Double-deckers return to South Lantau[]
In view of the anticipated completion of the two new HOS developments in Mui Wo Old Town - Ngan Ho Court and Ngan Wai Court in the third quarter of 2018, the demand for passengers travelling to and from Tung Chung Town Centre should not be taken lightly. To enhance its fleet capacity, NLB planned to introduce double-deck buses to operate Route 3M between Mui Wo and Tung Chung. two simulated road tests with full passenger loads were conducted by NLB in collaboration with Alexander Dennis (ADL), the Transport Department and the Police in November 2016 and 9 June 2017 [26]; for one of the tests on 9 June, the ADL's Asia Pacific Branch lent a yet-to-be-licensed NWFB Enviro400 Euro V (3839) to Mr Wong Leung Pak, Chairman of Kwoon Chung Bus, for road tests on Tung Chung Road and South Lantau Road and was driven by Wong himself [27][28]. The results were satisfactory, and NLB placed a formal order for 14 Enviro400 Euro Vs in October of the same year, which were expected to arrive in Hong Kong in the second quarter of 2018 [29].
The new double-deck air-conditioned buses were delivered to Hong Kong on 19 June 2018, pending the completion of vehicle inspection and licensing procedures, and are expected to undergo testing in a month's time[30]. If the progress is satisfactory, the entire 3M fleet was replaced by this type of double-deck buses, thus bringing double-decked buses to NLB South Road since 1995 when NLB Leyland Victory II was withdrawn from the service. NLB recognised the public's concern about double-decked buses on Tung Chung Road and would arrange for more experienced bus captains to drive the buses, all of whom would undergo 18 hours of training on the type of buses and routes to be operated. Eventually, the bus was officially introduced on Route 3M from 19 January 2019, making it the first South Lantau route to introduce double-decker air-conditioned buses. [31]
In July of the same year, NLB formally approved Enviro400 Euro V buses to operate on Route 4, and the bus (AD14/VU6370) was first deployed on the route in the afternoon of 9 July of the same year,[32] making it the second double-decked bus to be introduced to South Lantau after Route 3M, and the second double-decked bus to be introduced to South Lantau, after the Leyland Victory II (LD) was retired from the line of duty in 1995, after a gap of 24 years. It is also the second double-decked bus route in South Lantau after 24 years following the retirement of Leyland Victory II (LD) in 1995, and it also brings double-decked buses to the section of South Lantau Road between Cheung Sha and Tong Fuk. However, these buses were not routinely deployed on Route 4 until January 2021 onwards.
As the roads in Ngong Ping and Tai O are not yet suitable for low-floor vehicles, there is no intention to introduce double-deck buses to other South Lantau routes for the time being.
Fare Modes[]
NLB's office on the ground floor of Block D of the Silver Centre Building in Mui Wo provides route information, route maps and pamphlets to passengers.
NLB routes are divided into two categories: "South Lantau and North-South Lantau Routes" and "North Lantau and New Territories routes" (including Route 34). The former are divided into weekday and holiday fares, with holiday fares in particular being higher (starting from 12:00 a.m.), which is slightly different from other franchised buses.
After NLB's fare adjustment on 8 June 2008, the "South Lantau and North and South Lantau routes" category was further subdivided into "Ordinary Routes", "Ngong Ping Routes" and "Recreation, Overnight and Special Routes", and "Recreation Routes" (i.e. 1S, 2S, 11S, 13S, 21S, 23S) were formally introduced to charge higher fares than the main routes, thus establishing an alternative fare standard [22]. The section= fares of the return trip of "Ngong Ping Route" remained higher than those of the "Ordinary Route" with similar journey distance, while Route A35 was classified as an Airport Route and its sectional fares were slightly higher than those of Route 3M, which had a similar alignment.
In conjunction with the completion of the Tung Chung Road extension project and the opening of the entire NLB on 6 February 2009, the Transport Department issued 30 Tung Chung Road coach permits per day, which obviated the need for travel agents to hire buses for travelling between Tung Chung and South Lantau, and the demand for coach hiring services began to shrink. Fares are maintained at a higher level [33]. After 4 April 2021, Route 11A also changed from "Ordinary Route" to "Recreation, Overnight and Special Route" category, and the whole journey and section fares of Tung Chung-bound routes started to be slightly higher than other routes with similar routing, while the special routes 7S and 34S, which are also under the category of "Recreation, Overnight and Special Route", do not charge a higher fare for the whole journey of Route 34S than that of the main route, and the whole journey of Route 7S is charged higher than that of the Ordinary Route, which charges the same holiday section fare for the same journey between Mui Wo and Pui O.
Whole-day Pass[]
- The main article of this section is Lantau Pass and Whole-day Pass.
On 18 September2006, the day after the opening of the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail, NLB launched three all-day packages to meet the challenge, including the Lantau Pass, Tai O Pass and Tai O Pass+Skyrail Package [19][20]. In June 2012, the Tai O Pass was replaced by the 360 Sea-Land-Sky Pass, which includes a return journey ticket and a Tai O excursion boat ticket. The new package includes a return ticket for the cable car and a ferry ticket for the Tai O Excursion, etc. Please refer to the relevant entries for details.
Lantau Pass and All Day Pass holders can travel on any NLB routes on Lantau Island during daytime, excluding (but not limited to) overnight routes, Route 1R, Boundary Crossing Routes (all routes to/from Shenzhen Bay Port and HZMB Hong Kong Port ("B" Routes)), and special routes ("S" Routes), whereas the All Day Pass also includes a Ngong Ping 360 round-trip ticket.
In addition, NLB has also launched the "Ngong Ping 21" special fare, which entitles the holder to take NLB Route 21 round-trip for the whole day.
Multiple Trip Concessionary Ticket[]
- The main article of this section is Fare concession.
With effect from the effective date of the new franchise on 1 March 2017, NLB is offering fare concessions to passengers who frequently need to travel on the same designated South Lantau route by giving them a complimentary Single Journey Ticket for every 30 journeys on that route or two complimentary Single Journey Tickets for every 40 journeys on that route.
Bus Routes[]
| Information of New Lantao Bus (NLB)'s routes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Termini | Fare | Remarks |
| 1 | Mui Wo Ferry Pier ↔ Tai O ● | Weekdays: $12.2 Holidays: $20.5 |
With auxillary special trip 1S |
| 1R | Hung Hom (Hung Luen Road) → Ngong Ping ● | $51.8 | Service on holidays only |
| 2 | Mui Wo Ferry Pier ↔ Ngong Ping ● | Weekdays: $19.6 Holidays: $33.9 |
With auxillary special trip 2S |
| 3M | Mui Wo Ferry Pier ↔ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | Weekdays: $11.4 Holidays: $17.8 |
With auxillary special trip 13S |
| 3R | Tung Chung Town Centre ↺ Pui O ● | Saturdays: $8.6 Holidays: $14.0 |
Service on Saturdays and holidays during swimming season only |
| 4 | Mui Wo Ferry Pier ↔ Tong Fuk ● | Weekdays: $6.4 Holidays: $12.5 |
|
| 11 | Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ↔ Tai O ● | Weekdays: $13.4 Holidays: $22.3 |
With auxillary special trip 11S |
| 11A | Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ↔ Shek Pik ● | Saturdays: $9.7 Holidays: $16.9 |
Service on Saturdays and holidays only |
| 21 | Ngong Ping ↔ Tai O ● | Weekdays: $7.6 Holidays: $17.6 |
With auxillary special trip 21S |
| 23 | Tung Chung Tat Tung Road Bus Terminus ↔ Ngong Ping ● | Weekdays: $19.6 Holidays: $33.9 |
With auxillary special trip 23S |
| 34 | Tung Chung Tat Tung Road Bus Terminus ↔ Shek Mun Kap ● | $4.9 | |
| 36 | Tung Chung Tat Tung Road Bus Terminus ↔ Disneyland ● | $9.8 | |
| 36X | Mun Tung Estate → Disneyland ● | $9.8 | Service on Monday to Friday AM peak hours only |
| 37 | Ying Tung Estate ↔ Yat Tung Estate ● | $3.7 | Service on school day peak hours only |
| 37A | Yu Nga Court ↺ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $3.7 | Service on Monday to Friday AM peak hours only |
| 37H | Ying Tung Estate ↺ Mun Tung Estate ● | $3.7 | |
| 37M | Ying Tung Estate ↺ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $3.7 | |
| 37P | Yung Yat House Yat Tung Estate → Caribbean Coast/E Wun Secondary School ● | $3.7 | School day AM special service |
| 37S | Tung Chung Development Ferry Pier → Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $3.7 | Service on Saturday and holiday PM peak |
| 38 | Yat Tung Estate ↺ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $3.6 | |
| 38X | Yung Yat House Yat Tung Estate ↺ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $3.6 | School day AM special service |
| 39M | Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ↺ Mun Tung Estate ● | $3.7 | |
| A35 | Mui Wo Ferry Pier ↔ HZMB Hong Kong Port ● | Weekdays: $19.2 Holidays: $31.1 |
Service on daily morning, afternoon and evening peak hours |
| B2 | Yuen Long Station ↔ Shenzhen Bay Port ● | $14.4 | |
| B2P | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Tsz Estate) ↔ Shenzhen Bay Port ● | $10.3 | |
| B2X | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yiu Estate) ↔ Shenzhen Bay Port ● | $10.3 | Service on Saturdays and holidays only |
| B4 | HZMB Hong Kong Port ↺ Airport (Passenger Terminal Building) ● | $8.3 | Daily 24-hour service |
| B6 | HZMB Hong Kong Port ↔ Mun Tung Estate ● | $9.1 | Daily 24-hour service |
| N1 | Mui Wo Ferry Pier → Tai O ● | Weekdays: $18.4 Holidays: $31.4 |
Overnight service |
| N35 | Mui Wo Ferry Pier ↔ HZMB Hong Kong Port ● | Weekdays: $31.0 Holidays: $43.3 |
Overnight service |
| N37 | Ying Tung Estate ↺ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $5.1 | Late night service |
| N38 | Yat Tung Estate ↔ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $5.1 | Overnight service |
| X11R | Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel ↔ Tai O ● | Saturdays: $28.9 Holidays: $40.3 |
Service during designated periods on weekends and holidays |
Besides, NLB also provides services connecting to cemeteries during Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival. Route 7S runs between Mui Wo and Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery, whereas Route 34S runs circular between Tung Chung Tat Tung Road and Cemetery Area No.18 on Tung Chung Road.
Categorisation method[]
| Bus route categories | ||
|---|---|---|
| Series | Category | Remarks |
| Numbers only | Does not belong to the following categories | Such as existing Routes 1, 2, 4, 11, 21, 23, 34, 36, 37 and 38, cancelled Routes 3, 5(1st generation)[Remark 3], 5, 6, 7, 8[Remark 4], 13 and 31, as well as Routes 9 and 10 which were shelved. |
| A-prefix | Airport Shuttle Bus Routes | Derived from “Airport”, used only by Route A35, running between HZMB Hong Kong Port and Mui Wo Ferry Pier. |
| B-prefix | Port Feeder Routes | Derived from “Boundary”, used by franchised bus routes direct to Shenzhen Bay Port(B2, B2P and B2X) and HZMB Hong Kong Port(B4 and B6). |
| N-prefix | Overnight Routes | Derived from “Night”, such as existing Routes N1, N35, N37 and N38, as well as cancelled Routes N11 and N13. |
| P-prefix | Peak hour routes between urban and North Lantau | Derived from “Peak Hours”, no routes using for the time being, used only by the cancelled route P1. |
| X-prefix | AsiaWorld-Expo special routes | No routes using for the time being, used only by the cancelled route X35. |
| Express routes | Only used by X11R for the time being. | |
| A-suffix | Route number extension | Only used by existing Route 11A and cancelled 37A. |
| H-suffix | Hospital Shuttle Routes | Derived from “Hospital”, only used by Route 37H connecting North Lantau Hospital. |
| M-suffix | MTR connection routes | Derived from “MTR”, only used by 3M and 39M. Not all routes originating and terminating at MTR stations are necessarily M-suffixed, but routes that are M-suffixed must be MTR feeder routes. |
| P-suffix | Peak hour routes | Derived from “Peak Hours”, only used by Route 37P, as well as cancelled Routes 7P, 36P and 38P, except B2P. |
| R-suffix | Holiday, Festival and Recreation Routes | Derived from “Recreation”, only used by existing 1R and 3R, as well as cancelled 1R(1st generation), 2R, 3R(1st generation), 4R and 11R(1st generation). |
| S-suffix | Special trips/Special departures[Remark 5] | Derived from “Special”, which are trips that are auxillary to the regular trips, includes service under special conditions or group charters, such as Routes 1S, 2S, 11S, 13S, 21S, 23S and 37S. |
| Cemetery special routes | Derived from “Special”, only used by Routes 7S and 34S, which only operate during the day of Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival. | |
| Free shuttle routes | Derived from “Shuttle”, only used by cancelled Route 8S, connecting to Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal. | |
| Special routes | Derived from “Special”, only used by cancelled Route 7S(1st generation). | |
| X-suffix | Peak hour routes | Used by 36X, 38X; however during initial days of Route 38X's commencement, there was another Route 38P and the P-suffix could not be used. |
| Express route | Derived from the pronounciation of “Express” , only used by Routes 36X, B2X, as well as cancelled Routes 3X and 34X, all of which are semi-direct routes with limited stops. | |
Bus Depots[]
In the past, NLB had only a small fleet maintenance depot at Pui O Depot. In 1991, the depot was replaced by one at Mui Wo. To cope with the development of North Lantau, a depot was set up at Siu Ho Wan, where NLB's franchised buses and Kwoon Chung Bus' non-franchised buses were also maintained.
Kwoon Chung Bus also rented some of the parking spaces in Hang On Parking Site (恒安停車場) in Tin Shui Wai for its buses. After the commissioning of the Shenzhen West Express Routes (Route B2), Hang On Parking Site became NLB's bus depot in Tin Shui Wai, the only franchised bus depot located in a private car park.
Template:List of NLB depots
Fleets[]
Current fleets[]
| Information of current NLB's double-decker air-conditioned buses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Body | Fleet no. | Engine | Gearbox | Year joined | |
| MAN A95 12m | Gemilang Lion's City DD |
MD01-10 | MAN D2066 LUH-32 (Euro 5) |
ZF EcoLife 6AP2000B | 2015/16－ | |
| Gemilang Lion's City DD Facelift |
MDR01-29 | MAN D2066 LUH-33 (Euro 5) |
2018－ | |||
| MDR30-34 | MAN D2066 LUH-52 (Euro 6) |
2019- | ||||
| MAN A95 11.7m | MDRS01 | 2023- | ||||
| Enviro400 Euro V 10.4m | Alexander Dennis Enviro400 Facelift |
AD01-14 | Cummins ISL8.9E5320B (Euro 5) |
Voith DIWA 864.5 | 2018- | |
| Information of current NLB's single-decker air-conditioned buses | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Body | Fleet no. | Engine/Motor | Gearbox/Battery | Year joined |
| Large-and middle-sized buses | |||||
| MAN NL273 12m | Gemilang | MN30, 32-34, 36 | MAN D2066 LUH-21 (Euro 4) |
Voith DIWA 864.5D4 | 2008- |
| Young Man JNP6122G 12m | Young Man City New Liner Series |
YM01-14 | MAN D2066 LUH-32 (Euro 5) |
2010/11- | |
| YM15-24 | ZF EcoLife 6AP1700B | 2012/13- | |||
| MAN RC2 11m | Gemilang | MN92-95 | MAN D2066 LUH-47 (Euro 5 EEV) |
2015- | |
| BYD K9R 11.6m | BYD | BE01, 02 | BYD TYC90A | BYD-2912TZ-XY-A | 2018- |
| BYD K9RB 11.6m | BE03, 04 | - | 2022- | ||
| Coaches | |||||
| MAN 18.310 12m (A51) |
Asia Spacestar | MN74 | MAN D2866 LOH-27 (Euro 3) |
Voith DIWA 864.5 | (Delivered in 2005) 2007- |
| Asia Aero | MN46, 50, 59, 60, 63-67, 70, 71 |
Voith DIWA 864.5/ ZF Ecomat 2 5HP602C |
(Delivered in 2005-2007) 2009/10- | ||
| MAN 18.350 12m (A91) |
Asia Spacestar II | MN15-19 | MAN D2066 LUH-13 (Euro 4) |
Voith DIWA 864.5 | 2007- |
| Asia Aero | MN86-91 | (Delivered in 2009-2013) 2013－ | |||
| MAN 18.360 12m (A91/R33) |
MN79-85, 96-119 |
MAN D2066 LUH-23 (Euro 5) |
ZF EcoLife 6AP1700B | ||
| Minibus | |||||
| Mitsubishi Rosa BE641J | Mitsubishi | MS13 | Mitsubishi 4P10-7AT4 (Euro 5) |
Duonic (6-speed) |
(Delivered in 2013) 2015－ |
| Toyota Coaster | Toyota | TCM01-03 | Hino NO4C-UH (Euro 5) |
Hino M550 (5-speed Manual Gearbox) |
(Delivered in 2015/17) 2021/23－ |
Retired fleets[]
Retired non-air-conditioned buses[]
| Information of NLB's retired double-decker non-air-conditioned bus fleets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Body | Fleet No. | Engine | Gearbox | Year served |
| Leyland Victory II | Alexander CB | LD1-8, 10 | Gardner 6LXB | Voith DIWA 851 | 1980－1995 |
| LD9, 11-15 | (Delivered in 1982/83) 1985－1993 | ||||
| Information of NLB's retired single-decker non-air-conditioned bus fleets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Body | Fleet No. | Engine | Gearbox | Year served |
| Albion "Nimbus" | Albion | Nil | Albion EN250 | David-Brown 4-speed | (1960出廠) 1972－1973 |
| Austin | Hong Kong-manufactured Body | Nil | BMC 5103cc/5605cc | Unknown | 1968－1973 |
| Bedford SB | Hong Kong-manufactured Body | Nil | Bedford 330 | Unknown | 1966－1982 |
| Commer (Large) | Hong Kong-manufactured Body | Nil/CLS1-2 | Commer 3860cc/5800cc | Unknown | 1968－1982 |
| Commer "Walk-Thru" 3023 | Hong Kong-manufactured Body | Nil/CSS1 | Commer 2260cc/2611cc/3330cc | Unknown | 1969－1982 |
| Ford D300 | Hong Kong-manufactured Body | Nil | Ford 3933cc/5480cc | Unknown | 1969－1978 |
| Guy UF | Metal Sections | Nil | Gardner 5HLW | Preselected gearbox | (Delivered in 1955) 1971－1973 |
| Morris | Hong Kong-manufactured Body | Nil | BMC 5657cc | Unknown | (Delivered in 1965) 1969－？ |
| Commer/Fargo RG13 | Sun Cheong | Nil/CLS3-11/FLS1- | Perkins 354 | Manual 4-speed | 1973－1987 |
| Dodge/Fargo RG15 | Sun Cheong, Jit Luen JL-A | Nil/FLS5-6/DLS1-11 | Perkins 354 | Manual 4-speed | 1977－1987 |
| Dodge KC40 | Sun Cheong | DSS1-3 | Perkins 3330cc | Manual 4-speed | 1977－1980代 |
| Isuzu JCR460 | Jit Luen JL-B | ILS1-5 | Isuzu 5785cc | Isuzu MBG5B | 1985－1994 |
| Isuzu MT112 | Jit Luen JL-C | ILS6-8, 11, 12, 29, 31-34, 37-39, 43, 44 | Isuzu 6BG1 | Isuzu MBG5 | 1987－2005 |
Retired air-conditioned buses[]
| Information of NLB's retired double-decker air-conditioned bus fleet | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Body | Fleet No. | Engine | Gearbox | Year served |
| Dennis Trident 12m | Duple Metsec DM5000 |
DN4, 5 | Cummins M11-305E (Euro 2) |
ZF Ecomat 5HP590 | (Delivered in 1998) 2013－2016 |
| Information of NLB's retired single-decker air-conditioned bus fleets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Body | Fleet No. | Engine | Gearbox | Year served |
| Large and middle-sized buses | |||||
| Dennis Dart SLF 10.1m |
Plaxton Pointer | DN1-3 | Cummins B5.9-215 (Euro 2) |
Eaton 4106A (6-speed Manual Gear) |
1998－2011 |
| MAN NL263 12m | Salvador Caetano City Gold 2K |
MN01-09 | MAN D2866 LUH-23 (Euro 3) |
ZF Ecomat 5HP502 | 2003－2018 |
| MAN NL262 11.7m | MAN | MN10-14 | MAN D2866 LUH-22 (Euro 2) |
Voith DIWA 851.3 | (Delivered in 2000) 2004－2013 |
| MAN NL273 12m | Gemilang | MN31, 35, 37-39 | MAN D2066 LUH-21 (Euro 4) |
Voith DIWA 864.5D4 | 2008－2019/20 |
| Volvo B6LE 10.6m | Jit Luen | VL1-6 | Volvo D6A-210 (Euro 2) |
ZF Ecomat 4HP500 | (Delivered in 1998) 2007－2011 |
| Coaches | |||||
| Isuzu MT112 | Jit Luen JL-C | ILS9, 10, 13-28, 30, 35, 36, 40-42 |
Isuzu 6BG1 | Isuzu MBG5 | 1987－2005 |
| Jit Luen JL-02 | ILS45-74 | Isuzu 6BG1 | Isuzu MBG5B | 1992－2006 | |
| Isuzu LT132 | Asia 1997 | ILS75, 77-83 | Isuzu 6HH1 (Euro 2) |
Isuzu MLD7Q | 1998－2011 |
| Asia 1995 Facelift | ILS76, 84-89 | ||||
| ILS103, 104, 106, 107, 109-111, 113-116 |
(Delivered in 1997/99) 2003－2011 | ||||
| Asia Aero Queen | ILS90-95 | 1999－2010 | |||
| China Kong CK1995 | ILS117-125 | (Delivered in 1998) 2004－2010 | |||
| New Asia | ILS131-135 | (Delivered in 1998) 2005－2010 | |||
| Isuzu LT133 | Asia 1994 | ILS96-101 | Isuzu 6HH1-S (Euro 2) |
Isuzu MLD6A | (Delivered in 1995/96) 2001－2008 |
| Jit Luen JL-03 | ILS102, 105, 108, 112 | (Delivered in 1996) 2003－2008 | |||
| Isuzu LV423R | Asia 4E III | ILS126-130, 136 | Isuzu 6SD1-TC (Euro 3) |
Isuzu MLD7Q | (Delivered in 2003/04) 2005－2015 |
| Asia Spacestar II | ILS137-139 | (Delivered in 2005) 2009－2015 | |||
| Mercedes-Benz | Delta Coach Singapore |
Nil | Mercedes-Benz MB0328EC | Voith | 1997－2001 |
| MAN 18.310 12m(A51) | Asia Spacestar | MN20-29 | MAN D2866 LOH-27 (Euro 3) |
ZF Ecomat 2 5HP602C | (Delivered in 2004) 2007－2017 |
| MN40-45, 47, 48, 54-58 | (Delivered in 2004/05/07) 2009－2019/20 | ||||
| Asia Aero | MN49, 51-53, 61, 62, 68, 69, 72, 73, 75-78 | Voith DIWA 864.5 | |||
| Small buses/minibuses | |||||
| Mitsubishi Rosa BE439F | Mitsubishi | MS1-4 | Mitsubishi 4D31-OAT | Mitsubishi (6-speed Manual Gear) |
(Delivered in 1990/91) 1997－2000 |
| Mitsubishi Rosa BE437F | MS5-7 | Mitsubishi 4D33 (Euro 1) |
(Delivered in 1996) 2001－2005 | ||
| Mitsubishi Rosa BE649J | MS8-10, 16 | Mitsubishi 4D34-2AT7 (Euro 3) |
Mitsubishi M2S5 (5-speed Manual Gear) |
(Delivered in 2001/09) 2005－2017 | |
| Mitsubishi Rosa BE63DJ | MS11, 12 | Mitsubishi 4M50-4AT4 (Euro 4) |
(Delivered in 2009) 2012－2017 | ||
| MS14, 15 | (Delivered in 2009) 2015－2021 | ||||
| Toyota Coaster JT743 | Toyota | Nil | Toyota 15B-FTEL4 OHV (Euro 3) |
Toyota (5-speed Manual Gear) |
(Delivered in 1996) 2001 |
| Arakawa | TY1, 2 | 1997－2009 | |||
Gallery[]
Major Accidents[]
- 1973 NLB Bus Falling Accident on Lantau Island
Remarks[]
- ↑ As NLB has been the sole legal operator of bus routes on Lantau Island since 1974, NLB is deemed to have been granted a franchise at that time by EBTHK.
- ↑ The first bus to be fitted with air-conditioning systems is ILS15/DV5110, belonging to Isuzu MT112K. As it ran over the slope at Shek Pik Reservoir when it was operating on Route 2, the tail span had to be extended while rebuilding its body, therefore the next-generation Isuzu MT112L adopted JL-02 bodyworks and was additionaly fitted with air-conditioning systems, upgrading them to air-conditioned buses
- ↑ At that time, there was no systematic naming of routes for NLB, and if the current standard was adopted, it would have to be changed to 5P.
- ↑ At that time, there was no systematic naming of routes for NLB, and if the current standard was adopted, it would have to be changed to 8R.
- ↑ However “group hire routes” are classified as "North-South Lantau Ordinary Bus Route" in the Schedule of Routes Order which is same as the main route.
Related Articles[]
- New Lantao Bus App
- Kwoon Chung Bus
- Lantao Motor Bus
- Lantao Bus
- Tai O Public Light Bus
- United Lantau Bus
- Ngong Ping Bus
- NLB 50th anniversary
References[]
- ↑ Fare Increase Application from New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited, Legislative Council Panel on Transport, 15 March 2019
- ↑ New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited, About us
- ↑ Transport Department and Highways Department's consolidated reply to the request for improvement of Hill Road and provision of additional pedestrian facilities, Paper No. T&TC 11/2020, Islands District Councillors' Traffic and Transport Committee Paper No. T&TC 11/2020, March 2020
- ↑ Controlling Officer's Reply: Question Serial No.: 2646, Reply Serial No. THB(T)159, Replies to initial written questions and supplementary questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2014-15
- ↑ Road Access Restrictions on South Lantau Including Tung Chung Road, Legislative Council Panel on Transport, March 2008
- ↑ Cycling Information Centre: Bicycle Carriage Arrangement on Public Transport
- ↑ 車水馬龍時 (When roads are congested), Apple Daily, 7 October 2013
- ↑ 大嶼山巴士聯營後 車費竟提高近兩倍 數千村民受影響普遍表示不滿 (Fares after joint operation of Lantau bus companies rose by 2 times, several thousand villagers affected and generally dissatisfied), Ta Kung Pao, 19 March 1973.
- ↑ 運輸署安排改善服務 大嶼山巴士明起增班次 (TD to arrange for service improvements, Lantau buses to enhance headways tomorrow onwards), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 30 November 1974.
- ↑ Ta Kung Pao, 20 January 1988.
- ↑ 大嶼山决發展旅遊區 擴雙綫公路 計劃試行雙層巴士方便遊人 (Lantau Island to be developed into tourism zone: Road to be expanded to dual-lane, double-decker buses to be introduced for convenience of travellers), , Wah Kiu Yat Po, 27 March 1977
- ↑ 從梅窩試行往大澳 雙層巴士駛大嶼山 (Double-decker bus ran on Lantau Island, testing from Mui Wo to Tai O), 《大公報》，1977-05-31
- ↑ 大嶼山雙層巴士服務試驗証實可行 但須先修筑道路工程 (Lantau Island double-decker bus test proved viable, but road works required in advance), , The Kung Sheung Daily Evening News, 1 June 1977
- ↑ As the Lantau Link was not yet completed at that time, NLB buses could only travel to and from Lantau by water.
- ↑ Fare increase application by New Lantao Bus Co. (1973) Ltd., Panel on Transport, Provisional Legislative Council, 13 February 1998
- ↑ 大嶼山巴士的特別車13S (NLB's special bus Route 13S), HKiTalk.
- ↑ Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., "Long Win and New Lantao Bus Jointly Launch Bus-Bus Interchange Scheme at Tung Chung Town Centre" [News Release].
- ↑ Tung Chung Town Centre Bus Interchange Concession Scheme
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 巴士撼吊車 套票招客 $73環遊大嶼山 (Bus vs Skyrail: Ticket packages to attract passengers, touring the Lantau in $73), Apple Daily, 20 September 2006
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 嶼巴推出無限次乘車套票 (NLB launches unlimited ride ticket packages), ATV News, 19 September 2006.
- ↑ Legislative Council Panel on Economic Services Update on Ngong Ping 360, Legislative Council Panel on Economic Services, 23 October 2006
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 FARE INCREASE APPLICATIONS FROM THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY (1933) LIMITED, LONG WIN BUS COMPANY LIMITED, NEW LANTAO BUS COMPANY (1973) LIMITED, CITYBUS LIMITED (FRANCHISE FOR HONG KONG ISLAND AND CROSS-HARBOUR ROUTES), CITYBUS LIMITED (FRANCHISE FOR NORTH LANTAU AND CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT ROUTES) AND NEW WORLD FIRST BUS SERVICES LIMITED, Legislative Council Brief, May 2008
- ↑ 港珠澳橋接駁巴專營權揭盅 城巴嶼巴包辦 (HZMB shuttle bus franchise revealed: Citybus and NLB granted operating rights), on.cc, 29 November 2017.
- ↑ 2015-2016 Islands District Bus Route Planning Programme, Islands District Council Traffic and Transport Committee meeting, 16 March 2015
- ↑ 有關大嶼山巴士服務的提問(文件 T&TC 3/2017 號)運輸署的書面回覆 (Written replies to questions on Lantau bus services (Paper No. T&TC 3/2017) from Transport Department), Islands District Council Traffic and Transport Committee, January 2017
- ↑ 配合新居屋 雙層巴破例駛入梅窩 (Double-decker buses broke history by entering Mui Wo to facilitate new housing estates), Apple Daily, 2018年4月14日
- ↑ [即日快報] 新巴 Enviro 400 經東涌道入嶼南試路 (4 pics) ([Instant report] NWFB Enviro400 enters South Lantau for trial run via Tung Chung Road), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 9/6 代理向新大嶼山巴士借出尚未出牌的新巴#3839，今日上午由黃良柏先生親自駕駛，於大嶼山嶼南道及東涌道進行試路。 (9/6 The agent lent a yet-to-be-licensed NWFB #3839 to NLB, driven by Mr Wong Leung-pak this morning for a test run at South Lantau Road and Tung Chung Road on Lantau Island), HK Bus Channel Facebook page.
- ↑ 各巴2018年新巴士訂單情況 (Orders of new buses by each bus companies in 2018), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 新大嶼山巴士公司認為往來梅窩及東涌使用雙層巴士可行, (New Lantao Bus says that use of double-decker buses between Mui Wo and Tung Chung feasible), RTHK Breaking News, 19 June 2018
- ↑ 〈雙層巴3M線往來梅窩東涌 載客量多40%〉，on.cc東網，2019年1月18日。
- ↑ 載客E400即將踏足長沙 (E400 about to enter Cheung Sha in revenue service), hkitalk.net
- ↑ Transport Department - New Lantao Bus - Service Details (Archived 28 February 2014 at archive.org)
External Links[]
- New Lantao Bus Company (1972) Limited Official Website
- Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Website (Parent company)
- 巴士線演義網：大嶼山巴士線演義 (Chinese)
Template:Bus Route List Navbox
NLB, New Lantao Bus Company Limited, New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited and New Lantau Bus