Transport Department

Emblem of Transport Department

The Transport Department (運輸署) is a department under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's Transport and Logistics Bureau responsible for road traffic, public transport services, and transport infrastructure.

Headquartered on the 16th floor of the South Wing of the West Kowloon Government Offices at 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, the Transport Department is led by a Director-General at the sixth-grade level, a position traditionally held by a civil servant. The current Commissioner for Transport, Ms. Angela Lee Chung-yan (李頌恩), assumed the role on 28 August 2023. The Commissioner of Transport also serves as a director of several transport-related companies in an official capacity, including The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, Long Win Bus Company Limited, New World First Bus Services Limited, New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited, Citybus Limited, MTR Corporation Limited, The "Star" Ferry Company Limited, Western Harbour Tunnel Company Limited, and Route 3 (Country Park Section) Company Limited.

History

In the past, Hong Kong's transport policy was implemented by different government departments, each responsible for the statutory functions of transport, roads, and traffic. Structurally, there was no central authority capable of comprehensively studying, formulating, and coordinating transport-related matters. To address this issue, the government established the "Transport Office" (交通事務處) under the Colonial Secretary's Office on 1 December 1965; in response to the expansion of the Transport Office's functions, the Governor, in consultation with the Executive Council, approved the reorganisation of the Transport Office into an independent government department on 1 December 1968.

To avoid confusion between the Chinese name of the Traffic Division (交通部) of the Police Force and the Transport Office, the authorities renamed the Transport Office as the "Transport Department" on 7 January 1974, and further restructured its framework in 1982 to establish its authority in executing traffic engineering and transport management.

In the lead-up to the expiration of the China Motor Bus Company's franchise in 1998, Commissioner Fanny Lo led negotiations between China Motor Bus and New World First Bus regarding the transition arrangements, ensuring a smooth handover of China Motor Bus's Hong Kong Island franchise bus services to New World First Bus.

On 16 November 1998, Robert Charles Law Footman succeeded Fanny Lo as Director of the Transport Department. During his over six-year tenure, Footman's most notable achievements included coordinating the launch of three new railway lines - the Tseung Kwan O Extension, West Rail, and Ma On Shan Rail - and planning and arranging several public transport service reorganisations. Robert Charles Law Footman also introduced several new transportation technologies, including the Cross-Harbour Tunnel Journey Time Indication System and the Octopus card payment for metered parking spaces, which brought convenience to drivers. The pedestrian-only zones were another initiative he strongly promoted, receiving public acclaim.

Functions

The Transport Department is responsible for implementing government policies in the following five major areas:

• Public transport planning and development: Assisting in the formulation of transport policies and infrastructure development plans to enhance the safety and efficiency of passenger and freight transport, and implementing government policies on public transport development, franchising, and regulatory matters to promote the sustainable development of Hong Kong.
• Issuing Motor Vehicle Licences and Driving Licences: Maintaining an effective vehicle and driver registration and licensing system, and promoting road safety through effective regulation of vehicles and drivers.
• Regional Transport and Transportation Services: Through planning and implementing traffic management, road improvement, and pedestrian environment enhancement plans; installing and operating the Traffic Control and Surveillance System; monitoring and regulating public transport operations; formulating and implementing road safety strategies and measures; and maintaining regular communication with district councils and other public institutions, to ensure the safety and orderliness of pedestrians and vehicles, and provide efficient and effective public transport services.
• Transportation Service Management: Ensuring that government multi-storey car parks, parking meters, the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator system, the Austin Road Cross Boundary Coach Terminus, government-owned tunnels and bridges, the Tsing Ma Control Area, and the Tsing Sha Control Area, among other transportation infrastructure and services, are effectively managed.
• Transport Services for Persons with Disabilities: Ensure that Rehabus services are effectively managed and operated to facilitate the mobility of persons with disabilities.

In its daily operations, the Transport Department is responsible for managing or operating the following major facilities:

• Public transport interchanges/bus termini;
• Vehicle examination centres;
• Driving test centres;
• Traffic lights;
• Escalators;
• Closed-circuit television and variable message signs;
• Intelligent transport systems; and
• Road and pedestrian facilities.

Bus and Railway Branch

The Transport Department has ten main divisions, one of which is the Bus and Railway Branch (巴士及鐵路科), which is responsible for policy, planning, development, regulation, and supervision of franchised buses, non-franchised buses and tram services; planning of public transport interchanges; public transport planning for new development projects; matters related to new railway services; and regulation of railway services.

The Bus and Railway Branch is headed by the Assistant Commissioner/Bus and Railway, and comprises two divisions: the Railway Monitoring Division (鐵路監察部) and the Bus Development Division (巴士發展部), each managed by a Principal Transport Officer. The Bus Development Division is responsible for formulating and coordinating bus policies and matters related to bus safety, reviewing service development applications and planning programmes submitted by the three major franchised bus operators, processing applications for adjustments to franchised bus fares, planning matters related to franchised bus depots, assessing public transport service needs associated with new development projects, reviewing public transport networks and selecting operators, coordinating policies related to non-franchised buses, and managing the non-franchised bus industry.

Public transport planning and development

The Transport Department has always planned Hong Kong's road-based public transport services in response to regional development and population changes. When certain areas without direct rail access are expected to experience population growth due to the completion of large-scale new residential projects, the Department will plan public transport services for those areas and strengthen road-based public transport services in a timely manner to keep pace with population growth, such as launching new franchised bus/green minibus services, while adjusting existing services to meet the new population's demand for public transport services.

Following the handover of new residential projects, the department will also conduct on-site inspections and surveys from time to time to regularly review usage patterns. Referring to the Guidelines on Service Improvement and Reduction in Bus Route Programme, the department will collaborate with franchised bus companies under the annual Bus Route Planning Programme to explore proposals for enhancing bus services in the area. In this regard, the department will consult the Transport and Transportation Committee under the relevant District Councils and will also consider proposals to enhance green minibus services and other road-based public transport services based on changes in passenger volume.

On the other hand, the Bus and Railway Division will provide planning advice from a public transport perspective for important transport studies. It will also conduct preliminary planning at various stages of important regional planning projects to ensure the smooth implementation of new development projects, including the construction of bus termini, public transport interchanges, bus maintenance yards, depots, and other related facilities.

Monitoring bus services

The Transport Department is responsible for monitoring the service performance of public transport service operators. If passengers have any comments or complaints about public transport services, they may either directly contact the operator or submit them through various channels, including email (tdenq@td.gov.hk), hotline (2804 2600), fax (2804 2652), or mail (41/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai) to submit their feedback or complaints directly to the Transport Department. Additionally, passengers may also contact the Transport Complaints Unit (telephone: 2889 9999; email: info@tcu.gov.hk) or the 1823 Call Centre to provide feedback or lodge complaints with the Transport Department.

Franchised bus companies must provide services in accordance with the route, timetable, frequency/headway, and bus allocation provisions specified in the "Schedule of Services" approved by the Transport Department. Furthermore, operators must submit operational reports for each bus route to the Department, including the number of buses deployed on the route, the number of trips, mileage, and passenger numbers. The Transport Department monitors the operation of bus services by reviewing operational reports and closely monitoring public feedback obtained through the aforementioned channels. Additionally, the Department conducts various surveys on a regular basis, including termini checks, en-route bus stop surveys, journey time surveys, screenline surveys, and on-vehicle surveys, to collect data on the level of bus services. The department will also conduct special investigations in response to complaints or suggestions received, or issues identified in the regular reports submitted by bus companies.

If there is a significant and sustained change in demand for a particular bus route, the Transport Department will discuss with the relevant bus company to adjust the service to align with changes in passenger demand. If any issues or service deficiencies are identified on a particular route or group of routes, such as lost trips/delays caused by traffic congestion, the department will discuss with the relevant parties and propose improvement measures, such as implementing traffic management plans, modifying the route, or adjusting the timetable. If the issues stem from operational methods, insufficient bus captains, or frequent bus breakdowns, the department will require the relevant operators to make improvements. It will closely monitor the effectiveness of these measures through on-site investigations and reviews of reports submitted by the bus companies. If the franchised bus company fails to provide a reasonable explanation or implement improvements in a timely manner, the authority will issue a reminder letter, requiring the bus company to implement improvement measures within a reasonable timeframe, and will conduct further follow-up investigations to verify the effectiveness of the improvement measures.

Enforcing railway-first policy

Since 2000, the government has implemented a major transportation policy that prioritises the "use of railways as the backbone of HK's public transport system", with franchised buses and other public transportation modes playing a supporting role. Although the government has not explicitly mentioned the term "railway-first" or "protecting railways", bus fans generally use these terms to describe the current public transportation policy.

Rationalisation of bus routes

The Transport Department frequently cites declining demand for bus services, bus service rationalisation, improving network operational efficiency, enhancing service quality, alleviating traffic congestion, and reducing roadside air pollution. Through annual Bus Route Planning Programmes, Area Approach rationalisation for bus routes, and when new railways enter service, it forcibly cuts services, cancels bus routes, and even reduces bus services in areas without railway services, further reducing the number of buses, which often provokes backlash from bus fans and local residents.

Vehicle examination

The main article of this section is Vehicle examination.

All imported vehicles must undergo vehicle inspection and initial registration, and motor vehicle licences will be issued after type approval. If the vehicle needs to renew its licence, it must also undergo vehicle inspection before renewal.

Issuing driving licences, Passenger Service Licences, licences, authorisations and permits

The Transport Department enforces the licensing system in accordance with the Road Traffic Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations:

• Enforcement of the driving licence system: Drivers must pass a driving test before they can be issued with a driving licence of the relevant category. Public light bus (or minibus) drivers must apply separately for a Public Light Bus Driver Identity Plate and display it in a conspicuous place in the minibus compartment.
• Vehicle Registration Plates
• Motor Vehicle Licences
• Passenger Service Licences (PSLs): Passenger Service Licence are issued based on the category of commercial passenger vehicles and the type of services to be provided, to regulate the number of non-franchised buses and public light buses. The number of taxis is also subject to the licensing system.
• Lantau Closed Road Permit
• Bus Lane Permit

Among the 25 types of licences and permits issued by the Transport Department, 9 are non-renewable, and holders typically do not apply for renewal. Among the 16 types of licences and permits that require renewal, the relevant regulations stipulate that the effective date of the renewed document must be the date of issuance. These include the "Closed Road Permit", "Expressway Permit", "Bus Lane Permit", "Prohibited Zone Permit" and "Restricted Zone Permit". Since the relevant regulations for these permits stipulate that the effective date of the permit must be calculated from the date of issuance rather than from the expiration date of the existing document, and that the validity period of the permit must not exceed 12 months, if one renews the permit in advance, the new document may expire earlier than if they had applied for renewal only after the existing document had expired.

Related articles

• Highways Department
• Housing Authority
• Hong Kong Police Force
• Fire Services Department
• Central Government Offices

External links

• Transport Department official website
  • Licences and permits
  • Innovative transport systems
  • Traffic Advices
  • Public transport
  • HKeMobility
  • Transport Department in Action 2003
  • Central Electronic Road Payment pilot scheme website

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