The New Territories Green Minibus (GMB) Route 502 is operated by Ng Lok & Sons Company Limited (吳樂父子有限公司) (Passenger Service Licence (PSL) No. 17989C). It runs between Sheung Shui (Ching Ho Estate) and Tai Po Nethersole Hospital, via North District Hospital, Fanling South (Pak Wo Road, Wah Ming Road), Tai Wo Service Road West, Tai Po Centre and Fu Heng Estate, which mainly provides convenience for residents of Tai Po District and North District to commute to and from North District Hospital and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital for cross-district clinic visits.
History[]
Commencing background[]
In 2004, the Hospital Authority restructured its hospital network and North District Hospital and Tai Po Nethersole Hospital were included in the New Territories East Hospital Cluster. As a result, some of the medical services originally provided by North District Hospital were transferred to Tai Po Nethersole Hospital, thus making it necessary for some patients in North District who had originally sought treatment at the former hospital to seek treatment across districts, or even travelling to and from two hospitals within the same day. The then Chairman of the Traffic and Transport Committee of the North District Council, Mr Poon Chung-yin, quoted the statistics of the North District Hospital and pointed out that since the merger of some of the services of the two hospitals, the number of cross-district patients had increased by about 46,000 per month.
Therefore, the North District Council had been striving for the provision of direct public transport services between the two hospitals. With the completion and occupation of Ching Ho Estate, some of the residents moving into the new estate were originally living in Tai Po, creating a substantial transport demand. As a result, the proposal of operating a green minibus (GMB) route was accepted by the Transport Department (TD), and three GMB routes including this one were put out to tender on 26 September 2008[1], and the final bidding was awarded to Ng Lok & Sons Company Limited, and the route eventually entered service on 17 June 2009.
Route change history[]
- 26 September 2008: The Transport Department invited open tender for three new green minibus routes, with Route 502 being one of them.[1]
- 17 June 2009: Route 502 came into service.[2]
- 8 February 2010: Last departure time was postponed from 22:00 to 22:30 from Ching Ho Estate and from 22:00 to 23:00 from Tai Po Nethersole Hospital.
- 3 February 2011:[3]
- Both bounds detoured via Yat Ming Road;
- The special departure was changed to two-way service, with the terminus changed from Yung Shing Court to Yan Fai House Yan Shing Court, and additionally detoured Yat Ming Road for both bounds.
- 27 May 2011: Due to drainage works on Yat Ming Road, the section of Yat Ming Road northbound from about 45 metres north of its junction with Pak Wo Road south to its junction with Pak Wo Road northbound was closed. Tthis route was diverted to go through Pak Wo Road westbound and Yat Ming Road southbound before resuming its original routing.[4][5]The temporary stop was cancelled on 25 August 2012 upon completion of drainage works and the alignment reverted to the pre-rerouting arrangement.[6]
- 1 September 2013: No longer passed through Yat Ming Road and a section of Pak Wo Road in Wah Sum Estate for both directions.[7][8]
- 6 March 2018 to late June 2020: To tie in with the road and drainage works at Chuen On Road, the section of Chung Nga Road near Heng Wing House Fu Heng Estate to the northbound junction of Chuen On Road near Tai Po Hospital is closed, and minibuses towards Ching Ho Estate were diverted to return to the original routing at Chung Nga Road via Chuen On Road southbound.[9]
- 25 June 2021: Real-time Arrival Information System was introduced to this route.[10]
Service hours and headways[]
| From Ching Ho Estate | Headways (mins) | From Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital | Headways (mins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mondays to Saturdays | |||
| 06:00 - 06:30 | 15 | 06:00 - 06:30 | 15 |
| 06:30 - 09:26 | 8 | 06:30 - 09:30 | 10 |
| 09:26 - 17:00 | 10／12 | 09:30 - 16:30 | 10／12 |
| 17:00 - 19:00 | 12 | 16:30 - 19:30 | 8／10 |
| 19:00 - 22:00 | 12／15 | 19:30 - 22:00 | 12／15 |
| 22:00 - 22:30 | 15 | 22:00 - 23:00 | 15 |
| Sundays and Public Holidays | |||
| 06:00 - 07:00 | 15 | 06:00 - 07:00 | 15 |
| 07:00 - 22:00 | 12／15 | 07:00 - 22:00 | 12／15 |
| 22:00 - 22:30 | 15 | 22:00 - 23:00 | 15 |
Special trip[]
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Fares[]
| Journey/Boarding stop | Fares |
|---|---|
| Full fare | $13.7 |
| Section fares (to Tai Po Nethersole Hospital) | |
| From Yan Fai House Yan Shing Court | $11.7 |
| From Ho Ka Yuen | $8.6 |
| Section fares (to Ching Ho Estate) | |
| From Parc Versailles | $11.7 |
| From Wai Tau Tsuen | $8.2 |
| From Wo Hing Tsuen | $5.3 |
| Fare Remarks |
|---|
|
Octopus Interchange Concessions[]
| Route 502 and MTR Interchange Concessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st leg | 2nd leg | Discounted amount | Time limit |
| 502 | MTR | 50￠ | 90 minutes |
| MTR | 502 | ||
Notes:
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Minibus deployments[]
According to the Schedule of Services of the Transport Department (TD), this route requires the use of 16 light buses, of which five are 19-seaters. It has a total capacity of not less than 96 passengers in each direction during the peakiest hour.
At present, this route is actually served by 17 Toyota Coaster minibuses, including 6 16-seater minibuses and 11 19-seater minibuses. All vehicles are individually numbered.
| List of NT Route 502 minibuses | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plate no. | Type no.[Remark 1] | Seat | Sign Configuration | Fleet no. | Remarks |
| LM2513 | 2018 7LL | 19-seater Vegaseat | Patent Enterprises EDS | 10 | Entered service in August 2018 First 19-seater minibus on this route Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS |
| LM3164 | 2020 7LL | 8 | Entered service in November 2020 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS[Remark 2] | ||
| LN3795 | 2021 7LL | 9 | Entered service in March 2021 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS | ||
| LS6578 | 2024 7DL | 19-seater original 3-point harness seat | Transfull EDS | 1 | Entered service in May 2024 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS2[Remark 3] |
| LS8252 | 2023 7DL | Patent Enterprises EDS | 2 | Entered service in July 2023 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS2[Remark 4] | |
| LT4543 | 2018 7LL | 19-seater Vegaseat | 12 | Entered service in December 2018 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS2 | |
| LT4840 | 2023 7DL | 19-seater original 3-point harness seat | 4 | Entered service in January 2024 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS2[Remark 5] | |
| LT6432 | 2021 7LL | 19-seater Vegaseat | 3 | Entered service in November 2021 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS2[Remark 6] | |
| LU6748 | 2005 5LS2 | 16-seater high back seat | Rollsign | 5 | Former vehicle of Better Coin Industrial NT Route 28K Joined in June 2009 |
| LV3013 | 7 | ||||
| LV3605 | 2024 7DL | 19-seater original 3-point harness seat | Transfull EDS | 6 | Entered service in January 2025, plate originally belonged to a 2005 5LS2[Remark 7] |
| LV6995 | 2005 5LS2 | 16-seater high back seat | Rollsign | 11 | |
| LW4182 | 2024 7DL | 19-seater original 3-point harness seat | Transfull EDS | 13 | Entered service in April 2024 Plate originally belonged to a 2004 5LS2[Remark 8] |
| LX5612 | 2005 5LS2 | 16-seater high back seat | Rollsign | 17 | Former vehicle of Tsz Mong Route Also a former vehicle on PLB Wong Tsing Route and Kwa Tsing Route |
| MU7912 | 2007 5LS2 | 15 | Former vehicle of Kwun Chai Route Joined in February 2011 | ||
| TS9824 | 2015 6LS | 16-seater original 3-point harness seat | 16 | Entered service in October 2015 | |
| YL2104 | 2023 7LL | 19-seater original 3-point harness seat | Patent Enterprises EDS | 18 | Entered service in May 2023 |
| List of former vehicles of NT Route 502 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plate no. | Type no. | Fleet no. | Date retired/withdrawn | Whereabouts | Substitute vehicle |
| EP8274 | 5LS2 | 17 | Unknown | Retired | |
| LM2513 | 2004 5LS | 10 | August 2018 | 2018 7LL of the same plate | |
| LM3164 | 8 | November 2020 | 2020 7LL of the same plate | ||
| LN3795 | 9 | March 2021 | 2021 7LL of the same plate | ||
| LS6578 | 2004 5LS2 | 1 | May 2024 | 2024 7DL of the same plate | |
| LS8252 | 2 | July 2023 | 2023 7DL of the same plate | ||
| LT4543 | 12 | December 2018 | 2018 7LL of the same plate | ||
| LT4840 | 4 | December 2023 | 2023 7DL of the same plate | ||
| LT6432 | 3 | November 2021 | 2021 7LL of the same plate | ||
| LV3605 | 2005 5LS2 | 6 | January 2025 | 2025 7DL of the same plate | |
| LW4182 | 13 | April 2024 | 2024 7DL of the same plate | ||
The information may not be complete and accurate, and to be updated and modified by those who are willing to do so.
This section was last updated on 1/2025202501
Routing[]
The distance of this route is approx. 13.5km, and the journey time is approximately 50mins. (The average speed is 16.2km/h.)
- 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.
To Tai Po Nethersole Hospital[]
Via: Ching Hiu Road, Po Kin Road, North District Hospital access, Po Kin Road, Pak Wo Road, Wah Ming Road, Wo Hing Road, (Tai Wo Service Road West, Lam Kam Road Interchange, Tai Po Road - Tai Wo)#, Tai Po Tai Wo Road, Nam Wan Road, Chung Nga Road and Chuen On Road
# Remark: Drivers may divert via Pak Wo Road and Fanling Highway according to traffic conditions.
| New Territories GMB Route 502 (Ching Ho Estate → Tai Po Nethersole Hospital) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Major stop locations | Remarks |
| 1 | Sheung Shui |
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| 2 | Ching Hiu Road |
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| 3 |
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| 4 | Fanling South | Pak Wo Road |
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| 5 | Wah Ming Road |
|
Section fare begins here | |
| 6 | Wo Hop Shek | Wo Hing Road |
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| 7 | Lam Tsuen | Tai Wo Service Road West |
|
Hail-and-ride section Section fare begins here |
| 8 | Lam Tsuen/Tai Po Tau | Tai Po Road - Tai Wo |
|
Hail-and-ride section |
| 9 | Tai Po Old Market | Tai Po Tai Wo Road |
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| Tai Po Centre |
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| 10 | Nam Wan Road |
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| 11 | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Chung Nga Road |
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| 12 |
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To Ching Ho Estate[]
Via: Chuen On Road, Chung Nga Road, Nam Wan Road, Tai Po Tai Wo Road, (Tai Po Road - Tai Wo, Lam Kam Road Interchange, Tai Wo Service Road West, Wo Hing Road)#, Wah Ming Road, Pak Wo Road, Po Kin Road, North District Hospital access, Po Kin Road and Ching Hiu Road
# Remark: Drivers may divert via Fanling Highway and Pak Wo Road according to traffic conditions.
| New Territories GMB Route 502 (Ching Ho Estate → Tai Po Nethersole Hospital) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Area | Road | Major stop locations | Remarks |
| 1 | Tai Po (Fu Heng) |
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| 2 | Chung Nga Road |
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| 3 | Tai Po (Fu Shin) | Nam Wan Road |
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| 4 | Tai Po Centre | Tai Po Tai Wo Road |
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| Tai Wo |
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| 5 | Tai Po Tau | Tai Po Road - Tai Wo |
|
Section fare begins here |
| 6 | Lam Tsuen | Tai Wo Service Road West |
|
Hail-and-ride section |
| 7 | Wo Hop Shek | Wo Hing Road |
|
Section fare begins here |
| 8 | Fanling South | Wah Ming Road |
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| 9 | Fanling | Pak Wo Road |
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| 10 | Sheung Shui |
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| 11 |
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Related incidents[]
- 26 August 2019: At around 5:00pm, a Toyota Coaster (MU7912) heading towards Tai Po Nethersole Hospital crashed into a KMB Enviro500 MMC (ATENU195/SK2399) running on Route 276A at the junction of Po Kin Road and Po Ping Road, injuring nine people.[11]
- 6 January 2020: At around 9:00 a.m., a minibus on this route heading towards Tai Po Nethersole Hospital crashed into a police vehicle in front of it at Tai Po Road - Tai Wo near Shui Wai, injuring six people.[12]
- 23 July 2024: at 1:49 pm, a minibus on this route heading for Tai Po Nethersole Hospital was suspected to have failed to stop its engine and crashed into a street washing vehicle parked at the roadside off Ka Shing Court, resulting in minor injuries to five female passengers on board the minibus and four female passengers on the street washing vehicle.[13]
Gallery[]
A Route 502 minibus was passing through Pak Wo Road
Special trip of Route 502 only goes to Yan Fai House Yan Shing Court
A Route 502 minibus was entering Tai Po Nethersole Hospital
More pictures, photos and related information about this article are available in the following Gallery Page:
New Territories GMB Route 502 (Edit)
Remarks[]
- ↑ Numbers placed after the model Toyota Coaster (if any) are only used within the transport enthusiasts, others (including the industry) does not use such names.
- ↑ That 5LS was originally a vehicle on PLB Ho Tsuen Route and was transferred to Ng Lok & Sons in July 2009 and subsequently retired in December 2020.
- ↑ That 5LS2 was formerly a vehicle on PLB Kwun Lok Route under Chiu Luen, which was transferred to Ng Lok & Sons in June 2009 and subsequently retired in May 2024.
- ↑ That 5LS2 was formerly a vehicle on PLB Wan Tsuen Route, which was transferred to Ng Lok & Sons in June 2009 and subsequently retired in July 2023.
- ↑ That 5LS2 was formerly a vehicle on PLB Wan Sheung Route and Kwun Mong Route under Chiu Luen, which was transferred to Ng Lok & Sons in June 2009 and subsequently retired in July 2023.
- ↑ That 5LS2 was formerly a vehicle on PLB Kwun Tsuen Route, which was transferred to Ng Lok & Sons in June 2009 and subsequently retired in November 2021.
- ↑ The 5LS2 was initially a vehicle of PLB Kwun Tsuen Route and Po Mong Route, and was changed to serve on Ng Lok & Sons in June 2009, until January 2025 before retirement.
- ↑ That 5LS2 was formerly a vehicle on Manhattan Resources HKI Route 16 series/18M/20 series, which was later changed to serve on PLB Kwun Chai Route and transferred to Ng Lok & Sons on February 2011 until its retirement in April 2024.
Related articles[]
- KMB Route 73
- KMB Route 73A
- KMB Route 73B
- PLB Tai Po - Sheung Shui Route
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 G. N. 6621: Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations (Cap 374D)--Packages of Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Routes in Kowloon and the New Territories, HKSAR Government Gazette Vol. 12 Issue No. 39, 26 September 2008.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Introduction of N.T. PLB (Scheduled) Service Route No. 502 Ching Ho Estate - Tai Po Nethersole Hospital" [Traffic Advice], June 2009.
- ↑ 新界綠小502將於2011年2月3日提高收費及改道 (Fare increase and rerouting of NT GMB Route 502 effective 3 February 2011), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Temporary Traffic and Transport Arrangements at Yat Ming Road, Fanling" [Notice].
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Temporary Traffic and Transport Arrangements at Fanling" [Notice].
- ↑ 一鳴路渠務工程竣工，專線小巴502恢復原有路線 (Completion of drainage works at Yat Ming Road - GMB Route 502 resume original routing), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 新界路線 502 改動 (Service changes of NT GMB Route 502), hkitalk.net.
- ↑ 建議修改專線小巴第502號線(大埔那打素醫院-清河邨)的行車路線 (Suggestion to amend routing of New Territories GMB Route 502 (Tai Po Nethersole Hospital - Ching Ho Estate), North District Council Traffic and Transport Committee Discussion Paper No. 24/2013.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Traffic Arrangement on Chuen On Road, Tai Po" [Traffic Advice], 13 March 2018.
- ↑ Transport Department HKSARG, "Green Minibus Real-time Arrival Information System extended to cover 165 routes" [News Bulletin], 25 June 2021.
- ↑ 上水小巴攔腰撞九巴釀9傷 (9 injured as minibus T-bone KMB bus in Sheung Shui), Oriental Daily News, 26 Aug 2019.
- ↑ 綠van大埔撼「訓練」警車 6人傷送院 (GMB slammed onto police training vehicle in Tai Po, 6 hospitalised), Sing Tao Daily, 6 Jan 2020.
- ↑ 粉嶺綠Van撞洗街車釀9傷 小巴司機涉危駕被捕 (9 injured after GMB hit street washing vehicle, minibus driver arrested for dangerous driving), Oriental Daily News, 23 Jul 2024.
External links[]
- Official information on Transport Department (HKeMobility website): New Territories Green Minibus Route No. 502
- Official information on Transport Department (HKeMobility website): New Territories Green Minibus Route No. 502 (Trips from Yan Fai House Yan Shing Court to Tai Po Nethersole Hospital)
- Official information on Transport Department (HKeMobility website): New Territories Green Minibus Route No. 502 (Trips from Tai Po Nethersole Hospital to Yan Fai House Yan Shing Court)
- Official information on Transport Department (HKeMobility website): New Territories Green Minibus Route No. 502 (Trips from Tai Po Centre to Ching Ho Estate)
- Official information on Transport Department (HKeMobility website): New Territories Green Minibus Route No. 502 (Trips omitting North District Hospital)
- 16SEATS.net - New Territories Green Minibus Route 502
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