Vehicle restrictions

This article has accuracy disputes.

User adding this template is required to explain the reason why there is an accuracy dispute in this article inside the Talk Page to facilitate discussion and improvements by editors.

Vehicle restrictions (用車限制), also known as prohibitions or bans (禁令), usually refer to restrictions on the length, width and height of vehicles imposed by the legislative framework or road environment, etc., which affect the use of vehicles on certain bus routes. In addition, franchised bus companies, some non-franchised bus companies and a few green minibus (GMB) operators may, for various reasons, restrict certain types of vehicles to operate on certain routes only.

Reasons for restriction

Owing to errors in urban design and topographical constraints, many streets/roads or bus termini in Hong Kong are not suitable for larger, heavier or excessively long vehicles, particularly double-decked buses. In order to protect the safety of buses and passengers, the bus companies have imposed appropriate restrictions on the deployment of buses on certain routes.

In addition, bus companies may also arrange buses to operate on certain routes having regard to the performance of individual models. In recent years, NWFB and Citybus are usually deployed to routes which mainly run on flat roads, such as 2A, 2X, 8, 8P, 780, 788, 789, etc., after the registration of the new buses or a short period of time after the overhaul of the engines/transmission of the buses, whereas the 12.8-metre new buses are deployed to the "Island Eastern Corridor Express" routes in order to avoid accelerated wear and tear of the mechanical parts of the buses.

On the other hand, sometimes the flexibility may not be proportional to the length. Sometimes long vehicles are more flexible than short ones, and even one position is accessible to a long vehicle but not a short one, while the opposite is true for another position. For example, a tail-axle-driven 12/12.8-metre bus without a centre-axle steering system can hardly make a U-turn at the Stubbs Road roundabout, but on the contrary, an Enviro500 MMC 12.8-metre can easily make a U-turn there; on the contrary, an Enviro500 MMC 12.8-metre can not make a left turn from Wai Yip Street southbound to Cha Kwo Ling Road northbound, and the routing of Route E22 to the direction of the AsiaWorld-Expo has to change its routing in the Laguna City section so that it is the same as that heading towards Lam Tin, in order to be deployed with 12.8-metre buses, whereas tail-axle-driven 12-metre buses (e.g. Volvo B9TL 12-metre buses), which do not have any mid-axle steering system, are able to turn around there easily. Citybus has only ever introduced tail-axle-driven buses of Dennis Dragon 12m (retired), Scania K94UB (retired) and Volvo B9TL 12.8m with CAGS, which has indirectly discouraged Citybus from purchasing tail-axle-driven 12/12.8m buses.

Despite the name "ban", "breaking the ban" is not uncommon, especially amongst NLB and DBTSL buses. For example, DBTSL Route 18 was deployed with Volvo B9TL 12m double-decker buses on its inauguration day. For example, some KMB buses which are approaching the age limit and will be retired soon, such as Leyland Olympian and Dennis Dragon, are prohibited from running on expressway routes or even being deployed to other depots after their licences have been renewed at the age of 17. However, there are still some renewed buses which have been deployed to depots or are running for a long period of time, which suggests that the restriction on use of these buses has long since been lifted.

In another example, KMB routes 58X and 67X were allegedly prohibited from operating low-floor rear-axle-drive buses (e.g. Volvo B9TL and Volvo Super Olympian 12 metres) and mid-axle-drive Scania K310UD, which were then owned by Tuen Mun Depot (U), as these buses would have difficulty in turning into their lay-bys in the Mong Kok East Station Terminus and scrape the bottom of the buses when exiting the stop (however, the current fleet of all Route 93K is composed of Volvo B9TLs). Subsequently, it was pointed out that the problem could be solved by instructing KMB's Engineering Department to slow down the bus captains when travelling through the above road section and adjusting the nozzle height of the Scania K310UD.

As far as public light buses (PLBs) are concerned (mainly green minibuses, GMBs), because of their short length, they are able to cross narrow roads and are less constrained by road surface. However, as the roads in the villages and hilly areas in the New Territories and on Hong Kong Island are very narrow, some long-distance PLBs may not be able to run smoothly on the narrow roads in some of the rural areas, or some of the vehicle models may not be able to cope with the road conditions. In such cases, the operators will impose occupancy limits on individual routes to ensure road safety.

In addition, public light buses and electric buses are prohibited from travelling on expressways. According to the Road Access (Expressway) Regulations, in order to ensure road accessibility and safety, the number of relevant vehicles travelling on expressways is restricted, and public light buses or electric buses travelling on expressways may apply for permits if necessary.

Patronage issues

Short-bodied buses or single-decker buses

Despite Citybus Route 71 has no vehicle restrictions, it is deployed with short-bodied models because of its low ridership and that Citybus is not inclined to deploy 12-metre buses to serve routes observing a section of Pok Fu Lam Road near the downhill slope at Li Sing Primary School

While some routes run along road sections suitable for double-decker buses of 12 metres or above in length, the bus companies deploy short buses of 11.7 metres or below or even single-decker buses because these routes have unsatisfactory patronage, have shorter distances, need to be diverted to routes with vehicle restrictions, or do not need to pass through low emission zones (LEZs).

In order to save operating costs and optimise the use of resources, the operators deployed shorter buses or single-decked buses with lower carrying capacity for use on the relevant routes.

Bus routes scheduled for use by short or single-decked buses without vehicle restrictions (KMB and LWB)/ List of bus routes where the majority of vehicles used are short or single-decker buses (other companies) (includes routes with a mix of scheduled long- and short-bodied vehicles)
Operator	Area	Bus route(s)
KMB	Kowloon	1, 2B, 5M, 7M, 11C, 11D, 14B, 14H, 15A, 16M, 216M
	Tuen Mun and Yuen Long Districts	251B, 264R, 265S, 268B, 276P
	North District	73K, 270, 273, 273B, 273P, 278K
	Tai Po District	71B, 71K, 73, 74A, 74K
	Sha Tin	82B, 82K, 280X, 281M, 284
	Kwai Tsing District	32H, 32M, 43M
	Sai Kung District	90, 91M, 92, 95M, 97, 98C, 98D, 290, 296M
Citybus	Southern District Routes	7, 43M, 47P, 48, 71, 73P, 95C, 95P
		4, 4X, 30X, 42, 42C, 78, 91, 91A, 94A, 595
	Hong Kong Island North Shore Routes	2A, 3A, 26, 27, 82
	WHC Routes	970, 970X, 971, X970
	West Kowloon Routes	701A, 702B
KMB, Citybus	Jointly-operated cross-harbour bus routes	CHT routes: 101X, N121, N122
		EHC routes: 302, N691
		CHT routes: 107P
		EHC routes: 619, 621, 671, 681P, 690
		WHC routes: 981P
LWB	North Lantau Shuttle Bus Routes	S64, S64C, S64X
NLB	Tung Chung intra-town routes	37, 37P, 37S, 38X
	Tung Chung to/from Siu Ho Wan/Disneyland	36
	HZMB Hong Kong Port routes	B4, B6

In fact, with the exception of individual routes where only short-bodied or single-decker buses are used for the entire route, most of the routes in the above table have a mix of long- and short-bodied buses (there are 12-metre buses, and even 12.8-metre buses longer than 12-metre buses listed in the list), or a mix of single- and double-decker buses listed in the list.

In fact, except for some routes which only use short-bodied or single-decked buses for the whole route, most of the routes in the above table have a mix of long and short buses (there are 12-metre buses, and even 12.8-metre buses which are longer than 12-metre ones are scheduled) or single and double-decker scheduled.

• KMB: Routes 14H and 32H are prioritised for single-decker buses with double-wheelchair spaces due to the high number of hospitals on their routes, while Routes 7M, 73K, and 82K are also single-decked due to the low demand (except for Route 73K during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals). Scheduled buses are used on the entire Route 273 due to short mileage and high patronage, with very few passengers intentionally going to the upper deck to be seated, resulting in a "fake bus full", and are therefore all single-decker scheduled buses, with the exception of occassional deployment of double-decker buses that run on these six routes.
• Citybus: Routes 43M, 47P and 71 are served by buses of 11.7 metres or less due to lower demand, while Routes 7 and 71 are infrequently served by 12-metre buses due to Citybus's preference for not serving 12-metre buses on the section of Pok Fu Lam Road near the downsolpe at Li Sing Primary School; 7 and 71 routes are not served by 12-metre buses. Routes 26 and 81 share the same fleet, and because only Route 26 can use 12-metre buses but Route 81 is restricted to length of 11.7 metres or less, therefore Route 26 also uses buses of 11.7 metres or less under normal circumstances.
• NLB: Route 36 is served by single-decker buses due to low patronage; Routes 37, 37P, 37S and 38X were served by single-decker buses due to short distance and high patronage, and very few passengers purposely went to the upper decker for seating, resulting in a "fake bus full", so single-decker buses were used for the whole route, but double-decker buses are deployed on five routes occassionally.
• MTR Bus: Its fleet is mainly made up of buses of 11.3 metres or below, and is therefore not listed in the above table.

Transport Department's technical restrictions

12.8-metre buses

In recent years, franchised bus companies have been introducing 12.8-metre buses which can carry more passengers. As buses are longer than normal 12-metre buses, they take up more road space when turning, and only some road sections in Hong Kong are suitable for the use of 12.8-metre buses. In view of this, the Transport Department (TD) strictly requires that large buses of 12.8 metres in length must pass a trial run on a designated route before they are allowed to operate on the road ; and deadheading buses are also restricted from following other standard length (i.e. 12-metre) buses running on the same route to compare with a more direct deadheading routing.

However, due to temporary service arrangements and changes, these vehicle restrictions are occasionally broken, including:

1. KMB: 3ATENU, E6X, 3AVBWU, V6X and other 12.8 metre buses were deployed to Routes 11B , 14X　, 30X , 31 , 40P , 42 , 46X , 73 , 75X , 82P , 83X , 84M , 85M , 85X , 88K , 89B , 89X , 93K, 98, 98C, 110 (short trips to North Point only) , 281A , 286C , 287, 296A , 296D, 613 , 690 , 936 , N73 and N368 without approval.
2. LWB: 12.8-metre buses 15XX, UE6X, UV6X were deployed to Routes NA40 and NA41 without approval.
3. Citybus: 12.8-metre buses 61XX-62XX, 6300-6459, 6460-6490, 6501-6588, 68XX were deployed to Routes 5B , 8H , 22, 38 , 43M, 85A , 790 , 795X , A10 and A17 without approval.

At present, all four major KMB depots have 12.8-metre buses. Among them, Kowloon Bay Depot (K) is the latest to introduce 12.8-metre buses, with three of its 12.8-metre Euro 6-engined Enviro500 MMCs (E6X127-129) allocated to it on 21 July 2020 only. Depots of Citybus, except the Wong Chuk Hang and Ocean Park Depots, and the LWB Siu Ho Wan Depot also have 12.8-metre buses, but New Lantao Bus has none.

List of bus routes approved for 12.8-metre bus services by Transport Department
Operator	Bus route(s)		Notes
Citybus	Hong Kong Island Routes	1, 1P, 2, 2A, 2X, 5X, 8, 8P, 8X, 10, 18, 18P, 18X, 19P, 42, 42C, 49X, 77, 77A, 77S, 77X, 82, 82S, 82X, 88X, 347, 629, 629M, 720, 720A, 720P, 720X, 722, 780, 780P, 788, 789, N8, N8P, N8X, X8	6501-6588, 68XX/638XX cannot be used
	Kowloon and New Territories Routes	20, 20A, 20R, 22D, 22M, 22R, N20	Enviro500 MMC 12.8m (6426-6443, 6460-6490, 6491-6499, 6700-6701) with dual wheelchair spaces must be used first
		50, 55, 78C, 78P, 78X, 79P, 79X, N50	Only to be served by 6460-6490, 6491-6499, 6700-6701
		701, 701A, 701S, 702, 702A, 702B, 702S, 793, 796P, 796R, 796S, 796X, 797, 798, 798A, 798P, 798X, N796, X797	6501-6588, 68XX/638XX cannot be used
	Jointly-operated cross-harbour routes	101, 101X, 102, 102P, 102R, 104, 106, 106A, 106P, 109, 110, 111, 111P, 112, 115, 115P, 116, 117, 118, 118P, 118R, 170, 182, 182X, 302, 302A, 307, 307A, 307P, 601, 601P, 606, 606A, 606X, 619, 619P, 619X, 621, 641, 671, 671X, 680, 680B, 680P, 680X, 681, 681P, 690, 690P, 904, 905, 905A, 905P, 907B, 914, 914P, 914X, 948, 948A, 948B, 948E, 948P, 948X, 980A, 980X, 981P, 982X, 985, 985A, 985B, N106, N116, N118, N122, N170, N182, N307, N601, N619, N680, N681, N691, R307
	Solely-operated cross-harbour routes	608, 608P	Enviro500 MMC 12.8m (6426-6443, 6460-6490, 6491-6499, 6700-6701) with dual wheelchair spaces must be used first
		682, 682A, 682P, 694, 988	6501-6588, 68XX/638XX cannot be used
		930, 930X, 952C, 962A, 962C, 962G, 967, 967X, 969A, 969C, 969N, 969P, 969X, 976R, 976S, N952, N962, N969, R962, R969, X962
		930A, 930B, 967N, N930, R930
		933	Only to be served by 6460-6490, 6491-6499, 6700-6701, 6500
		950, 955, 976, 976A, 989	Only to be served by 6460-6490, 6491-6499, 6700-6701
		952, 952P, 962, 962P, 962X, 969, 969B
	Cityflyer routes	A12, A20, A23, A25, A26, A28, NA11, NA12, NA20, NA21, NA29	Enviro500 MMC 12m luxury version (80XX) and 12.8m (68XX, 638XX) should be used first, 6501-6588 can be deployed when necessary
		A11, A11R, A21, A22, A29
			Deployment of 6100-6209, 6300-6499, 6700-6701 may only be allowed under special circumstances, such as overtime service on Expo or when permitted by the Operations Control Centre (OCC)
	Border routes	B3, B3A, B3M, B3X, NB3	6501-6588, 68XX/638XX cannot be used
		B5	Only to be served by 6501-6588, 68XX/638XX
		B7, B8	6460-6490, 6501-6588 should be used first 68XX/638XX cannot be deployed
	All North Lantau External Routes/Overnight North Lantau External Routes	E11, E11A, E11B, E11S, E21, E21A, E21B, E21C, E21D, E22, E22A, E22C, E22P, E22S, E22X, E23, E23A, N11, N21, N21A, N23, N26, N29	Only to be served by 6501-6588, 68XX/638XX
	Disneyland Shuttle Routes/Disneyland Routes	R8, R11, R22
	Solely- and jointly-operated Airport Shuttle Routes	S1, S52, S52A, S52P, S56, X1
NWFB	Special routes	701R, FE1	Only to be served by 6100-6209, 6090
KMB	Kowloon Urban routes	1A, 2E, 5A, 5M, 5R, 6C, 6F, 6X, 8A, 8P, 11D, 12, 12A, 26, 26X, 27, 27X, 213B, 213M, 213S, N214	Volvo B8L 12.8m luxury version (V6PX) cannot be used
	New Territories routes	33, 33B, 36, 36A, 36M, 39A, 39M, 40X, 41A, 42A, 42C, 42M, 43, 43A, 43B, 43D, 43M, 43P, 43X, 44M, 49A, 49M, 49P, 49X, 52P, 52S, 52X, 56S, 57M, 58M, 58P, 58X, 59A, 59M, 59X, 60M, 60X, 61A, 61M, 61P, 61S, 61X, 62P, 62X, 63R, 63X, 64S, 64X, 65X, 66M, 66X, 67A, 67M, 67X, 68A, 68M, 68X, 69, 69C, 69M, 69P, 69X, 70K, 70S, 71A, 71B, 71S, 72X, 73B, 73D, 73K, 73P, 73S, 73X, 74B, 74C, 74D, 74P, 74X, 75K, 75P, 76S, 78, 78A, 78B, 78K, 82D, 86K, 86S, 87K, 87P, 87S, 89D, 89P, 89S, 234C, 234D, 242X, 248M, 249M, 249X, 251A, 251C, 252, 252B, 252X, 258A, 258D, 258P, 258S, 258X, 259B, 259C, 259D, 259E, 259S, 259X, 260B, 260C, 260X, 261, 261B, 261P, 261S, 261X, 263, 263A, 263C, 265M, 267X, 268A, 268B, 268C, 268P, 268X, 269B, 269C, 269D, 269S, 269X, 270, 270A, 270B, 270C, 270D, 270P, 271, 271B, 271P, 271X, 272A, 272E, 272K, 272S, 272X, 273, 273A, 273B, 273D, 273S, 274X, 276A, 276B, 276C, 276P, 277A, 277E, 277P, 277X, 278A, 278K, 278P, 278X, 279A, 279B, 279S, 279X, 285, 287R, 290, 290A, 290X, 298, 298E, 298F, N36, N39, N41X, N78, N86, N241, N243, N260, N269, N290, R78, W3, X42C, X42P, X89D
	Jointly-operated cross-harbour routes	101, 101X, 102, 102P, 104, 111, 111P, 112, 115, 115P, 118, 118P, 118R, 170, 171, 171A, 171P, 182, 307, 307A, 307P, 601, 601P, 619, 619P, 619X, 671, 671X, 680, 680B, 680P, 680X, 681, 681P, 904, 905, 905A, 905P, 907B, 914, 914P, 914X, 948, 948A, 948B, 948E, 948P, 948X, 980A, 980X, 981P, 982X, 985, 985A, 985B, N118, N122, N170, N171, N307, N601, N619, N680, N691
	Solely-operated cross-harbour routes	108, 900, 960, 960A, 960B, 960C, 960P, 960S, 960X, 961, 961P, 961S, 968, 968A, 968X, 978, 978A, 978B, N960
		P960, P968	Only to be served by Volvo B8L 12.8m luxury version (V6PX)
	Border routes	B1, B9, B9A	Volvo B8L 12.8m luxury version (V6PX) cannot be used
LWB	Airbus Routes/Overnight Airbus Routes	A30, A31, A32, A33, A33X, A34, A36, A37, A38, A41, A41P, A42, A43, A43P, A46, A47X, NA30, NA31, NA32, NA33, NA36, NA37, NA43, NA47	All daytime routes and Overnight Airbus Routes except Routes NA40 and NA41 15XX should be used first
	North Lantau External Routes/Overnight North Lantau External Routes	E31, E32, E32A, E33, E33P, E36, E36A, E36S, E37, E37C, E41, E42, E42C, E42P, E43, N30, N31, N42A	Except Routes E36P and N42
	Disneyland Shuttle Routes/Disneyland Routes	R8, R33, R33P, R40, R41, R42	All routes
	Solely- and jointly-operated Airport Shuttle Routes	S1, S64, S64C, S64P, S64X, X1
	AsiaWorld-Expo Event Special Routes	X33, X36, X40, X43, X47

List of bus routes approved for 12.8-metre bus services by Transport Department before cancellation
Operator	Bus route(s)	Note
Citybus	19, 20R, 682C, 797M, 798B, 962B, 962E, 962N, 962S, A26P, A29P, W1
KMB	40S, 86P, 290B
NWFB	82M, 682D, 796C, 796E, 914R
KMB, NWFB	301, 608A

Approved routes only mean that 12.8-metre buses are allowed to operate, but it does not mean that the scheduled buses or commonly used vehicles of the routes are 12.8-metre buses. Also, some jointly operated routes have only one of the companies allowed for 12.8-metre buses, such as multiple Cross-harbour routes where only Citybus is allowed for 12.8-metre buses and Routes 171, 171A, 171P and N171 where only KMB is allowed for 12.8-metre buses.

New energy buses

In recent years, franchised bus companies have introduced various types of new energy buses one after another. Owing to factors such as lower patronage and road safety, the Transport Department (TD) has imposed stringent restrictions on the routes operated by new energy buses.

However, due to temporary deployment of bus services, these restrictions are occasionally broken, including the following:

1. KMB: BED was deployed to Route 86A without authorisation.

List of routes authorised for use of new energy buses by Transport Department
Operator	Route(s)		Approved model(s)
Citybus and former NWFB	Hong Kong Island routes	5B	Weisheit WSD6121BR1EV 12m (59100)
		11, 12, 13, 25A, 78, 81	BYD K9R 11.6m (1581-1583, 2051-2052)
	Kowloon and New Territories routes
		20, 20A, 22M	BYD K9R 11.6m (1581-1583, 2051-2052), Weisheit WSD6121BR1EV 12m (59100) and WSD6121BR3FCEV
		22, 22X	BYD K9R 11.6m (1581-1583, 2051-2052)
		22D	BYD K9R 11.6m (1581-1583, 2051-2052) and Weisheit WSD6121BR1EV 12m (59100)
		581, 582	Weisheit WSD6121BR1EV 12m (59100)
	Jointly-operated cross-harbour routes	690S
	Solely-operated cross-harbour routes	962G, 962X
KMB	Kowloon Urban routes	1, 5A, 5M, 14B	BYD B12A 12m (BEB)
		1A, 6	AED,BYD B12A 12m (BEB)and BED
		2, 6C, 6X, 7B, 9	AEDand BED
		5D, 6D, 7, 11, 12A, 13X, 24, 224X, N213	BED
		7M, 8A, 8P, 16M	BYD K9R 12m (BDE)
		11D	AED,BYD K9R 12m (BDE),BYD B12A 12m (BEB)and BED
		203C, 203S	BYD K9R 12m (BDE)and BYD B12A 12m (BEB)
	New Territories routes	41A, 42A, 49M, 61M, 61P, 62P, 62X, 67X, 69, 81C, 82B, 82K, 85K, 89B, 89C, 90, 97, 213M, 230R, 234P, 234X, 238P, 238X, 251B, 251M, 252, 260C, 281A, 281B, 281X	BED
		43M	BYD K9R 12m (BDE)and BYD B12A 12m (BEB)
		251A, 251C	BYD B12A 12m (BEB)and BED
		71B, 72K, 74A, 282, 283, 287, 289K	AEDand BED
	Jointly-operated cross-harbour routes	110, 112, 606, 606A, 606X, 904	BED
		170, 171, 171A, 171P, 671, 671X	AEDand BED
	Solely-operated cross-harbour routes	900	AEDand BED
LWB	North Lantau External Routes/ Overnight North Lantau External Routes	E31	BYD K9R (SE101-SE104)
	Solely-operated and jointly-operated Airport Shuttle routes	S64, S64C, S64P, S64X, X1
NLB	New Territories routes	38, N38	BYD K9R (BE01-04)
	Boundary routes	B2

Routes once authorised for use of new energy buses by Transport Department
Operator	Bus route(s)	Approved model(s) at that time
KMB	5C, 6C, 35A, 42A and 603	BYD K9R 12m (BDE)

Cancelled routes authorised for use of new energy buses by Transport Department
Operator	Bus route(s)	Approved model(s) at that time
LWB	S65	BYD K9R (SE101-SE104)

Approved routes only mean that new energy buses are allowed to run on them, it does not mean that the scheduled or commonly used vehicles of the routes are new energy buses. In addition, only one of the bus companies is allowed to operate new energy buses on some of the jointly-operated routes.

Road restrictions

Franchised buses

Hong Kong Island

List of franchised bus routes in Hong Kong Island with vehicle restrictions
Operator	Bus route(s)	Vehicle restriction(s)	Reason(s)	Legend
Citybus	All routes serving Repulse Bay	Only buses of 11.7 metres or less may be used	Affected by the narrow road surface of Repulse Bay Road and Island Road
Citybus, KMB	All routes serving Mid-levels (except Routes 93 and 93A)		Affected by the narrow road width in the Mid-Levels area and the possibility of congestion being aggravated by the large number of passengers on some of the routes
Citybus	38 (Departures before 10am on Mondays to Saturdays)		Affected by the design of lay-by at Chi Fu Fa Yuen
	37A, 37B, 37S, 37X	Only buses of 11.7 metres or less may be used (excluding Enviro500 MMC 11.3 metres (4040-4091, 9100-9148) with rear axle steering activated)
	6, 66, 76	Only double-decker buses of 11.3 metres or less or single-decker buses of 11.7 metres or less may be used	Affected by the narrow road surface between Stubbs Road and Tai Hang Road and Queen's Road East
	41A, 63	Only buses of 11.7 metres or less can be used	Affected by the narrow road surface of Tai Hang Road between Lai Tak Estate Road and Blue Pool Road; the double-decker buses of both Routes 11 and 511 were affected by the presence of short trees on Moorsom Road and Perkins Road which made it difficult for double-decker buses to pass through the road, as well as the dissatisfaction of a senior civil servant of the Transport Department who had been residing at Jardine's Lookout with the use of double-decker buses by Citybus to pass through a section of Moorsom Road opposite to his apartment
	11, 511	Only single-decker buses of 11.7 metres or less can be used
	12A		Affected by the narrow road surface in the mid-level area and the height restriction of the Kennedy Road Peak Tram Bridge
	8H	Only Enviro500 MMC 12m (5617-5622) and Volvo B8L 12 metres (5230-5236, 8806-8845) with dual wheelchair spaces may be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	The route covers three hospitals, such a restriction can facilitate wheelchair passengers for boarding
	9, X9	Only double-decker buses of 11.3 metres or less or single-decker buses of 11.7 metres or less may be used	Affected by the narrow road surface at Tai Tam Road, Shek O Road and Big Wave Bay Road
	9C		Affected by the narrow road surface of Cape Collinson Road
	388, 389		Affected by the narrow road surface of Cape Collinson Road and Tai Tam Road
	13	Only double-decker buses of 11.3 metres or less or single-decker buses of 11.7 metres or less may be used (excluding Volvo B9TL 11.3 metres (45XX, 95XX))	Affected by the road surface of Kotewall Road and Oaklands Street
	14、314	Only Enviro400/Euro V or single-decker buses of 11.7 metres or less may be used	Affected by the narrow road surface at Tai Tam Road and Stanley Beach Road
	All routes observing Peak Road	Only Enviro400 Euro V (38XX), Enviro200 MMC (2501-2507) or Young Man JNP6105GR (1810-1825) can be used	Constrained by the narrow road surface of Stubbs Road and Peak Road and the height restriction of the Mount Kellett Road flyover (Jardine's Bridge)
	15C	If double-decker buses are used, only conventional full open-top buses may be used	Affected by the height restriction of the access road at Garden Road Peak Tram Station.
	25	Priority should be given to buses of 11.7 metres or less	Affected by narrow road surface at the left turn from King's Road to Tin Hau Temple Road
	81		Affected by the shallow space of Fung Ha Road roundabout
	98		Affected by the terminus design at Aberdeen (Chengtu Road)
	595, 971	Volvo B9TL 12m (5200-5224, 520XX) should not be used if possible	Affected by steep gradient of Aberdeen Reservoir Road
KMB, Citybus	608, 613, 613A, 679, 900, 933, 950, 955, 976, 976A, 979, 986, 987, 989	Only low-emission buses meeting Euro V or above may be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	According to the terms set out in the tender document in accordance with Transport Department's tender for bus route operating rights
Citybus	A10, A17, NA10	12.8m buses cannot be used	Affected by a number of narrow roads (e.g. Chi Fu Road, Deep Water Bay Road and Mount Davis Road, etc.) along the Southern District
Citybus, KMB	All routes passing through Yee Wo Street and the junction of Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder Street	Only low-emission buses meeting Euro V or above may be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	Affected by the Government's Franchised Bus Low Emission Zone Policy

Kowloon

List of franchised bus routes in Kowloon with vehicle restrictions
Operator	Bus route(s)	Vehicle restriction(s)	Reason(s)	Legend
KMB	208	Only single-decker buses of 10.6 metres or less can be used	Affected by the road surface of Earl Street left turn to Prince Edward Road West and Prince Edward Road West left turn to La Salle Road; and at the same time due to limited passenger demand on Route 208
	2D	Only buses of 10.7 metres or less can be used
	10
			Affected by the narrow left-turn bending from Dumbarton Road to Grampian Road
Citybus	20	Only Enviro500 MMC 12.8m (6426-6443, 6460-6497) and Volvo B8L 12m buses (521XX) with dual wheelchair spaces can be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	The route covers four hospitals, such a restriction can facilitate wheelchair passengers for boarding
			According to the terms set out in the tender document in accordance with Transport Department's tender for bus route operating rights
	608
	22, 22M	Only Enviro500 MMC 12.8m (6426-6443, 6460-6497) and Volvo B8L 12m buses (521XX) with dual wheelchair spaces can be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)
			The route passes through Hong Kong Children's Hospital and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, such a restriction can facilitate the sick children and cruise passengers for boarding
KMB	203C	Only single-decker buses may be used	Difficulty for double-decked buses to pass through Peony Road due to the presence of dwarf trees at Yau Yat Chuen
	211, 211A	Only single-decker buses of 10.6 metres or less which have obtained a Prohibited Zone Permit may be used	Affected by the shallow space of the Tsui Chuk Garden Bus Terminus; and the request of the local community for single-deck buses, coupled with the fact that the Route 211 series runs through Wing Chuk Street and Tsui Chuk Street, which are legally classified as being accessible only by vehicles of 10 metres or less in length
	238X, 238P	12-metre medium-axle drive buses of Euro V or above emission standards should be used as far as practicable	Affected by the narrow lay-by at the China Ferry Terminal and the need to pass through the low emission zone
KMB, Citybus	20, 20A, 22, 22D, 22M, 33, 33B, 49, 50, 55, 78C, 78X, 79P, 79X, 88, 90, 96, 97, 213B, 213M, 213S, 214, 214P, 290, 290A, 290B, 290X, 608, 613, 613A, 679, 900, 933, 950, 955, 976, 976A, 979, 986, 987, 989, N20, N214, N290, W2, W3	Only low-emission buses meeting Euro V or above may be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	According to the terms set out in the tender document in accordance with Transport Department's tender for bus route operating rights
KMB, Citybus, NLB	All bus routes passing through the junction of Nathan Road and Lai Chi Kok Road	Only low-emission buses meeting Euro V or above may be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	Affected by the Government's Franchised Bus Low Emission Zone Policy

New Territories

List of franchised bus routes in New Territories with vehicle restrictions
Operator	Bus route(s)	Vehicle restriction(s)	Reason(s)	Legend
KMB	14S	Only single-decker buses of 10.6 metres or less may be used	Restricted by the steep slope, bottom scraping risk and narrow road surface of the Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery access road
	32P		Affected by the narrowness of Lo Wai Road (the section north of Tung Po Tor Bus Terminus) and the height restriction of the pagoda at Lo Wai village
	45, 46	Only Euro V or above emission standard buses of 11.3 metres or less may be used	Affected by the narrow road surface of King Cho Road and Routes 45 and 46 passing through the Low Emission Zone (LEZ)
	30, 269M	Only buses of 11.3 metres or less may be used
	31M、N237		Affected by the big bend at Lei Pui Street
	53, 276		Affected by the narrow road surface at the section of Ping Ha Road near Hang Mei Tsuen
	77K		Affected by the narrow road on Fan Kam Road (the section south of Po Kin Road)
	91, 91A, 91R, 91S		Affected by the narrow road at Clear Water Bay Road (the section south of Hang Hau Road) and Tai Au Mun Road, while Route 91 was also affected by the road surface of Clear Water Bay Road westbound near Fei Ngo Shan Road
	68R	Only 12-metre centre-axle drive double-decker buses or buses of 11.3 metres or less may be used for operation	Affected by narrow road surface at Tai Tong Shan Road
	64K, 64P, 65K	Only Enviro500 MMC 11.3m (E6M) that have obtained a Closed Area Permit and are fitted with a tree block or buses of 10.6 metres or less may be used	Restricted by steep road at Lam Kam Road and the fact that Lam Kam Road is legally classified as a prohibited zone for vehicles of 11 metres or less in length
	51	Only Enviro200 10.4m Double-door version (AAU) with a prohibited zone permit and a retarder installed may be used	Restricted by the steep road at Route Twisk and the legal designation of Route Twisk as a Closed Area for vehicles 10 metres or less in length only
	All routes terminating at or passing through Fo Tan (Shan Mei Street)	Enviro400 10.5m (ATSE)and Volvo B7RLE 12m (AVC) buses must not be used	Bottom scraping will occur when the concerned models drive through the exit ramp of the terminus
	94, 96R, 99, 99R, 299X	For 11.3-metre or 12-metre double-deck buses, centre-axle drive double-decker buses should be used as far as practicable	Affected by the narrowness of a section of Tai Mong Tsai Road between Mak Bin and Tai Wan
	All routes terminating at or passing through Riviera Gardens		Affected by the design of lay-bys at Riviera Gardens, and Route 238X is also affected by the lay-by location at the China Ferry Terminal
	All routes terminating at Sui Wo Court		Affected by the lay-bys at Sui Wo Court Bus Terminus and the narrow vehicular access of the estate
	34	Volvo B7RLE 12m (AVC) with a Closed Area Permit or buses not longer than 10.6 metres should be used as far as possible	Affected by the large bend at Bayview Garden Bus Terminus and the low emission zones of Routes 234X, 234P and 934, plus Route 34 passing through the slip road between Hoi Hing Road and Tsuen Wan West Station Public Transport Interchange, which is legally classified as a prohibited zone for vehicles of 11 metres or less in length only
	34M	Volvo B7RLE 12 metres (AVC) or buses not longer than 10.6 metres as far as possible
	234X, 234P, 934	12-metre medium-axle drive buses or Volvo B7RLE (excluding AVC2) of Euro V or above emission standards as far as practicable
	275R (Regular trips)	Only Enviro500 MMC 11.3m (E6M) or single-decked buses fitted with tree barriers may be used (excluding Volvo B7RLE 12m (AVC))	Affected by the steeply sloping topography and bottom scraping risk at Bride's Pool Road and Wu Kau Tang Road and the height of trees along Bride's Pool Road
	Y31, Y41	Only single-decker buses may be used	Under strong wind conditions, Strong Wind Traffic Management Measures will be implemented at Lantau Link in phases according to the set wind speed. When the first phase of traffic control was in place, vehicles over 1.6 metres in height had to be diverted to the lower deck and could not go to Ma Wan, therefore the Transport Department gave special approval for single-decker buses to use the upper deck for travelling to and from Ma Wan.
	68, 68F, 268M		Affected by the height restriction at Park Yoho Bus Terminus
KMB, Citybus, NLB	33, 33B, 49, 50, 50M, 55, 56, 56A, 78C, 78X, 79P, 79X, 88, 90, 96, 97, 290, 290A, 290B, 290X, 679, 900, 933, 950, 955, 976, 976A, 979, 986, 987, 989, N290, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, W3	Only low-emission buses meeting Euro V or above may be used (except emergencies or lack of buses)	According to the terms set out in the tender document in accordance with Transport Department's tender for bus route operating rights
NLB	34	Only Toyota Coaster (TCM) may be used	Affected by the narrow road surface at Wong Lung Hang Road and Shek Mun Kap Road, as well as by the steep slope topography and bottom scraping risk at Shek Mun Kap Road
	37H	Only single-decker buses may be used	Affected by the height restriction of the canopy at the North Lantau Hospital podium access
	All routes serving Tai O and Ngong Ping	Only single-decker buses may be used (excluding MAN NL273 (MN30-38) and BYD K9R(BE))	Affected by the narrow road surface of the roads west of Keung Shan Road (Tai O Road, Sham Wat Road and Ngong Ping Road).
	All routes passing through Tung Chung Road	Only double-decker buses or single-decker buses of 11.7 metres or less can be used (excluding MAN NL273 (MN30-38) and BYD K9R(BE))	Affected by the steep slope topography at Tung Chung Road (south of Shek Mun Kap roundabout)
	All routes passing through South Lantau Road		Affected by narrow road surface along South Lantau Road

Non-franchised buses

List of non-franchised bus routes with vehicle restrictions
Operator	Bus route(s)	Vehicle restriction(s)	Reason(s)	Legend
MTR Bus	K52, K52S	Enviro500 12m should not be used if possible	To prevent Lung Kwu Tan Bus Terminus access from being obstructed
	K66		Due to the safety issues while u-turning at Tai Tong Wong Nai Tun Tsuen Bus Terminus
	K66A, K66S		Affected by the narrow road surface at Tai Tong Shan Road
	K65	12-metre buses and Volvo B9TL 11.3m (319-386) should not be used if possible	Affected by the narrow road surface at the section of Ping Ha Road near Hang Mei Tsuen
	K73 (Trips from Tin Heng Estate)		Affected by the location of the lay-by and large bends at Tin Heng Estate Public Transport Interchange
DBTSL	1	Only Toyota Coaster and Mitsubishi Rosa can be used	Affected by the road conditions at Parkland Drive and Headland Drive
	1/6		Affected by the road conditions at Parkland Drive, Headland Drive and Seabee Lane
	6	Only Toyota Coaster, Mitsubishi Rosa and DBAY175/DBAY176 can be used	Affected by the road conditions at Seabee Lane
	N5/1/6	Only Toyota Coaster and Mitsubishi Rosa	Affected by the road conditions at La Serene, Parkland Drive, Headland Drive and Seabee Lane, in addition to low-density villa-style residential neighbourhoods being its service areas
	2	Only buses of 10.4 metres or less can be used	Affected by the road conditions at Midvale Village
	5		Affected by road conditions at La Serene
	3		Affected by the road conditions at Parkvale Village and its u-turn location
	N3/2, N3/2/7/8		Affected by the road conditions atMidvale Village and Parkvale Village
	9, 9A	Only single-decker buses can be used	Affected by the road conditions at Amalfi Drive, Bayside Drive and Caperidge Drive
	18	Only Mitsubishi Rosa may be used	Affected by the road conditions at IL PICCO and in addition to low-density villa-style residential neighbourhoods being its service area

Minibuses

List of minibus routes with vehicle restrictions
Operator	Minibus route(s)	Vehicle restriction(s)	Reason(s)	Legend
Tsuen Wan 86	New Territories GMB Route 85	Only short-length Toyota Coaster minibuses can be used	Affected by the topography at Fu Yung Sun Tsuen Minibus Terminus

Bus enthusiast culture

The existence of the so-called "prohibitions" has always been a controversial issue among bus fans because these restrictions are internal matters of the bus companies, and internal notices cannot be made public due to the staff code of conduct, unless there is a clear road restriction (road restriction traffic signs at road junctions, and if there is a practical need to drive into a designated prohibited zone, a one-year prohibited zone permit is usually applied for ) or is recorded in the company's external publications , otherwise it would be difficult for the general public to be aware of the existence of individual vehicle restrictions. If a road section is restricted, but the route is still issued with buses that are prohibited from travelling, bus enthusiasts consider it a very special sight and take photographs of the buses in question.

Some bus enthusiasts often visit major discussion forums to speculate why bus companies do not send a certain type of vehicle to a certain route for a long time, but the bus companies may just send buses as a matter of habit, which makes bus enthusiasts mistakenly believe that there are restrictions on the use of buses.

In addition, some bus fans, when hiring special non-franchised buses for joyriding trips, requested to travel on more special road sections, such as reservoirs or narrow mountain roads, causing wear and tear on their buses, and the bus companies imposed restrictions in response to the situation. For example, on 26 April 2015, a bus enthusiast group rented a Citybus AEC Routemaster (1/HK1931) open-top bus, and at the request of the renter, the bus driver drove to the Shek Mun Kap section of Tung Chung Road, but the engine overheated and broke down, which caused heated discussion among bus enthusiasts . The bus was subsequently banned from travelling on steep and sharp curved roads, including Southern District of Hong Kong Island, Hiram's Highway and Lantau Island .

Repealed restrictions

The old viaduct of Cheong Wan Road was not suitable for using larger-sized buses due to its narrow bend

The Transport Department (TD) and the Highways Department (HyD) regularly review the road conditions in Hong Kong and carry out road widening or improvement works according to the development and traffic needs of the districts. As a result of the improvement in road conditions, the bus companies also arrange for diversion of routes in response to passenger demand, so that the relevant restrictions on the use of buses will no longer be applicable or will be relaxed, and the reasons for the relaxation are categorised as follows:

Improvement of road conditions or relaxation of legal restrictions

Roads on which buses used to be restricted in the past
Section	Routes involved and situation
Kwai Shing (Central) Bus Terminus	Prior to 1989, 37 and 37M could not be served by three-axle buses due to the width of the pit access. Improvement works were carried out in 1989-1990 and 37M was temporarily operated on a circular basis, which resulted in MCW Metrobus (S3M) being assigned to both routes and the restriction was lifted.
Tai Po Road (Kowloon to Sha Tin Heights section)	Prior to the improvement works, this section was not suitable for vehicles over 11 metres because of the narrowness of the road. At that time, KMB Route 848 from Sha Tin Racecourse to Tsuen Wan had to be diverted to Lion Rock Tunnel for buses over 11 metres.
Pok Fu Lam Road (one-way from St. Anthony's Catholic Church to Queen's Road West)	Due to the narrow left turn of Pok Fu Lam Road onto Queen's Road West, it was once unsuitable for vehicles longer than 10.5m. In 1994, the traffic arrangement was changed and vehicles were diverted to Des Voeux Road West via Second Street and Water Street, which has a wider turn for large buses; however, Citybus tends to favour buses of 11.3m or less (one of the reasons may be that Route 7, which runs through the road section, needs to share its buses with Routes 12 and 76 with vehicle restrictions and Route 71 with a lower demand). With the merger of the franchises of Citybus and NWFB on 1 July 2023, the relevant arrangements have been applied to the original Citybus routes only; however, at the bend near Li Sing Primary School at the intersection of Third Street, buses travelling in both directions generally have to give way to one another when they meet.
Kowloon City Ferry Public Transport Interchange	The KMB Route 61X used to be served by a narrow pothole, which could only be accessed by buses under 10.5 metres, resulting in Route 61X being limited to two-axle buses (e.g., Leyland Olympian (BL), and Leyland Victory II (G), which had slower speeds when travelling on the expressways, and this restriction was lifted in 1995 after the completion of the improvement works.
Sheung Hing Street	Prior to 1 June 1997, routes such as 113 could not be used by vehicles over 11 metres due to the narrowness of Pui Ching Road where Sheung Hing Street enters Princess Margaret Road, and in September 1993, when Citybus started to jointly operate Route 170 with Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB), there were insufficient shorter-bodied vehicles to do so. It was necessary to divert to Chung Hau Street and Chung Man Street after Fat Kwong Street to access Princess Margaret Road until 1 June 1997 when the improvement works were completed.
Tai Hang Tung Road and Nam Shan Estate Road	Before the road works at the junction of Tai Hang Tung Road and Nam Shan Estate Road, KMB Route 2C used to be limited to buses of 11 metres or less, and after the completion of the road works in 2012, the turnaround position was widened, and KMB then attempted to deploy a Volvo B7RLE, a 12-metre (AVC) single-decker air-conditioned bus, to test the road surface, and it was found that it was suitable for the route and was then deployed to serve the route and the restriction on the use of the vehicle was lifted.
Begonia Road and Tat Chee Avenue	Before the bend at the junction of Begonia Road and Tat Chee Avenue was widened, KMB Route 203 had been served by Mitsubishi MK single-decker buses only due to the narrow bend at the left turn of Begonia Road from Tat Chee Avenue to the direction of Festival Walk, but the bend was subsequently widened to allow 12-metre buses to pass through, and the restriction on the use of such buses was lifted accordingly.
Tung Chung Road (section south of Shek Mun Kap roundabout)	Prior to the commencement of the improvement works on Tung Chung Road, all routes via old Tung Chung Road were limited to Isuzu (ILS) and MAN (MN) single-deck coaches, as well as Toyota Coaster (TY) and Mitsubishi Rosa (MS). By 10:00 a.m. on 6 February 2009, with the completion of the road improvement works for the whole section of Tung Chung Road, New Lantao Bus (NLB) started to gradually relax the use of European-branded single-deck buses. In addition, all low-floor buses except Dennis Dart (DN1-3) cannot be used at the initial stage of the relaxation of the road surface restriction on New Tung Chung Road until 30 May 2015, 2018 and 2023 when MAN RC2 (MN92-95), Enviro400 Euro V (AD) and MAN A95 11.65m (MDRS) double-decker buses, except MAN NL273 (MN30-38) and BYD K9R (BE).
On Wan Road and Cheong Wan Road	Prior to the reconstruction of the Cheong Wan Road Flyover, only buses of 10.6 metres or less could be used on KMB Routes 8 and 8A due to the narrow bend at On Wan Road where the left turn into the old Cheong Wan Road Flyover was made; this restriction was lifted only in 2014, when the Cheong Wan Road Flyover was reconstructed in response to the construction of the Sha Tin to Central Link project, and the bend at which the left turn into the new flyover was wider than the turn at the junction with the original flyover, and the restriction was lifted only when the new flyover was opened in April of the following year.
Yan Fung Street	Prior to 16 August 2011, due to the narrow road surface at Yan Fung Street, vehicles over 11.3 metres could not be used on Route 109. From 16 August 2011 to 26 September 2016, in conjunction with the construction of the Ho Man Tin Station of the MTR Kwun Tong Line Extension, the route towards Homantin could no longer travel via Yan Fung Street to Fat Kwong Street, and was diverted to a routing heading towards Homantin Estate, the route could no longer go to Fat Kwong Street via Yan Fung Street, but was diverted to return to its original routing via Chatham Road North, Pak Kung Street, and Shun Yung Street and the restriction on the use of the route was lifted. After the completion of Kwun Tong Line Extension project, the road was reopened on 27 September 2016 and the route was diverted back to travelling via Yan Fung Street to Fat Kwong Street. As the road was slightly widened during the works, 12-metre buses were able to pass through the road without any obstruction, and were subsequently allowed to operate with 12.8-metre buses. The Citybus Route A20, which was later re-routed to the airport via Yan Fung Street, used Enviro500 MMC 12.8 metres (68XX) as its main vehicle.
Ping Che Road and Lin Ma Hang Road	Before mid-2016, due to road conditions, Route 79K could only use buses up to 10.6 metres in length, Scania K230UB 12m, and Volvo B7RLE 12m, and later, with the improvement of road conditions and the opening of the Frontier Closed Area resulting in an increase in ridership, the KMB started to lift the restriction on the use of vehicles.
Caperidge Drive	Before the closure of Discovery Bay Pier Bus Terminus, DBTSL Route 8 could only be served by buses of 10.4m or less due to the fire hydrant at the Caperidge Drive roundabout. In late-February 2017, the Discovery Bay Pier Bus Terminus was closed and Routes 9 and C9 were merged into Route T9; at the same time, works have been carried out at Caperidge Drive roundabour so that 12-metre single-decker buses can smoothly drive into Caperidge Drive roundabout.
Concorde Road flyover (Transport Department restrictions)	Vehicles longer than 10 metres are prohibited from entering the flyover between 20 December 1991 and 29 January 2015. The KMB Route 5D is mainly served by Dennis Dragon 9.9 metres (ADS), but occasionally by 10.6 metres buses, and since 2009, 10.6 metres buses have become scheduled buses on Route 5D. Starting from 31 July 2013, KMB Route 24 was diverted to Concorde Road, but continued to be served by 10.6-metre buses. Upon the lifting of the road restriction by the Transport Department, all routes via the flyover were then converted to 12-metre buses (although 10.6-metre buses occasionally ran on this section of the footbridge). The flyover was permanently closed on 24 September 2017 and the route was diverted to Kai San Road, which is completely free of vehicle restrictions.
Left turn from Wang Kwong Road to Kai Wah Street (Transport Department restrictions)	Due to the left turn from Wang Kwong Road to Kai Wah Street and the legal prohibition of vehicles of 11 metres or above from turning left from Wang Kwong Road to Kai Wah Street, KMB Route 5M and special trips of KMB Route 24 used to be limited to buses of 10.6 metres or less, and supercapacitor buses were used in the trips of Route 5M, or in case of temporary deployment of 12-metre buses, they had to be re-routed via Wang Chiu Road, Kai Lai Road, Wang Kwong Road and Kai Lai Road after Kai Cheung Road before returning to the original route with no change to the stops along the route. The restriction was only be lifted when Transport Department lifted the road restriction in 2019.
Chung Hau Street	Affected by the narrow road surface along Chung Hau Street in Oi Man Estate, Citybus has all along stipulated that no 12.8-metre buses can operate on Route E21A, which used to be the only Citybus North Lantau External Route that could not be operated by 12.8-metre buses. In response to the completion of the safety island relocation works at Chung Hau Street near Hau Man Street in mid-2019, the route was finally approved to be served by 12.8-metre buses in January 2020, and 12.8-metre buses were formally dispatched to serve the route from 22 January 2020 onwards, and the restriction on the use of buses was lifted accordingly.
Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Yuen Road) Bus Terminus (Transport Department restrictions)	Due to the narrow turning circle at Hung Yuen Road Bus Terminus, LWB Route A37 could not be served by 12.8-metre buses since its inception until it was diverted to run via Tuen Mun Chek Lap Kok Tunnel Road, and Route A34 had not been allowed to be served by 12.8-metre buses since their inception. However, from September 2021 onwards, the Transport Department (TD) approved the use of 12.8 metre buses on Route A34 and the restriction was lifted.
Clear Water Bay Road (westbound near Fei Ngo Shan Road)	Due to the impact of the road surface of westbound Clear Water Bay Road near Fei Ngo Shan Road, Routes 91, 91M and 92 can only deploy buses of 11.3 metres or less in length when heading towards Diamond Hill Station. If Routes 91M and 92 need to operate 12-metre buses, they have to be diverted to operate via New Clear Water Bay Road in the westbound direction and temporarily stop at Pak Hung House intermediate stop without stopping at the existing Good Hope School and Choi Wan Estate intermediate stops. With the completion of the road widening works in mid-2024, Route 91M and Route 92 were approved to use 12-metre buses for Diamond Hill Station-bound trips without the need for re-routing, thus lifting the restriction on the use of buses, and a 12-metre bus even became a scheduled bus of Route 92. However, Route 91 is still affected by the section of Clear Water Bay Road near Tai Au Mun and cannot use 12-metre buses.

Restrictions relaxed after testing

The following vehicle restrictions are no longer applicable or have been relaxed as a result of the testing of more suitable vehicle models.

Roads on which buses used to be restricted in the past
Location or section	Situation
Hiram's Highway, Clear Water Bay Road (section between Silverstrand and Tai Po Tsai) and Hang Hau Road	These roads had been restricted to 11 metres or less until NWFB broke the restriction by introducing 12 metre vehicles on Route 792. Subsequently, KMB routes 91M and 92 also began to use 12-metre vehicles on some trips.
Tsing Yi Estate Bus Terminus	Due to the design of the station and the limitation of the exit space of the lay-by, KMB routes 41, 41M, 44 and 44M were only allowed to use buses of up to 11.3 metres in length before 2010, however, Routes 41 and 44M were withdrawn from the terminus in the late 1980s, and the use of 12-metre buses by the routes was relaxed first. Since Route 44 was assigned a 12-metre low-floor bus in July 2010 and that the Volvo Super Olympian 12-metre (3ASV) joined Route 41M in December 2014, the restrictions on its use of the vehicle has been lifted.
Tai Hang Road (section west of Lai Tak Tsuen Road), Lai Tak Tsuen Road and Yee King Road	Prior to 19 December 2015, it was rumoured that the road width in Tai Hang made it impossible to use vehicles over 11.7 metres on routes such as 25A and 108. In order to meet the standards of the Low Emission Zone, and with the increasing shortage of shorter-bodied vehicles, the Enviro500/MMC 12-metre (ATEU/ATENU) vehicles were approved to run on the KMB routes only after the police assistance and road tests, and the Enviro500 MMC 12 metre (ATENU) service was introduced on the entire Route 108 and the restriction was lifted, while Route 25A has also been mainly served with 12 metre vehicles since 2017, suggesting that the restriction has been lifted for the two buses there. In addition, Route 108 did not allow 12-metre tail-axle-driven double-deck buses at the beginning of the relaxation until May 2018, when the number of vehicles on the route was increased to include a Volvo B9TL 12m (AVBWU).
Roads west of South Lantau Road and Keung Shan Road (Tai O Road, Sham Wat Road and Ngong Ping Road)	The use of low-floor buses through the above road sections was said to be insufficiently safe, rendering the use of low-floor buses other than Dennis Darts (DN1-3) not permitted on South Lantau, Tai O and Ngong Ping routes for a long period of time. After testing, the restriction was relaxed in late 2015, with NLB deploying MAN RC2 for service. The Enviro400 Euro V (AD) has also been approved to serve the South Lantau routes since 2018.
Sai Sha Road	Due to the narrow and winding Sai Sha Road, KMB has always restricted the use of buses of 10.6 metres or less on 99, 99R and 299X routes. Subsequently, the Dennis Dragon 9.9 metres were retired from service in 2014, resulting in an even tighter supply of vehicles suitable for this route. With the assistance of the Police and testing by KMB, the use of Volvo Olympian 11-metre (AV) buses (the only model that can cope with the curves in the area) was relaxed. Of these, routes 99 and 299X were replaced with Volvo Olympian 11m (AV) on or before 2014-6 September 2016, indicating that this restriction has been relaxed. With the full retirement of the last three Volvo Olympian 11m (AV) buses after the last running day on 6 September 2016, there were no more 11m buses running on KMB until June 2020, and routes 99, 99R and 299X reveredt back to using buses of 10.6m or less as they used to be before the relaxation of the restriction in 2014. in November 2016, Sha Tin Depot (S) conducted an assessment and test run for Route 299X, and the test run was successful, and the route was deployed with a 12-metre bus in the afternoon of the 27th of that month, and the restriction on the use of the vehicle was lifted.
Shek O Road and Big Wave Bay Road	Affected by the narrow and winding roads in Shek O Road and Tai Long Wan, NWFB has always stipulated that 9 routes can only be served by buses of 10.6 metres or less. Subsequently, the Dennis Trident 10.3/10.6 metres (16XX/33XX) were retired in 2017, and the Enviro400 Euro V 10.4 metres (38XX) that replaced the former two had a lower capacity and could not cope with the high holiday patronage, resulting in a tighter supply of suitable buses for the route. With Police assistance and NWFB's road testing, the use of Enviro500/MMC 11.3 metres (4000-4039/4040-4091) and Volvo B9TL 11.3 metres (4500-4529) buses was relaxed (only these three models are able to cope with the bends in the area). However, these models seldom serve Route 9.
Sui Wo Court Bus Terminus	Prior to late November 2017, the narrow lanes at the lay-by of the Sui Wo Court Bus Terminus and the housing estates allowed only buses up to 10.6 metres long to be used on the 80M, 81K and 280X routes. With the retirement of plastic destination sign-equipped Dennis Trident 10.6-metre buses, the supply of short-bodied buses has become increasingly tight, and in late November 2017, after a number of road trials, KMB began to lift the restriction on the use of scheduled buses, with 12-metre buses being added to the scheduled buses on Routes 80M and 280X, while the scheduled buses of Route 81K continued to use short-bodied vehicles until mid-October 2020 when four Enviro500 12-metre (ATE) vehicles were added as scheduled buses.
King Cho Road	KMB routes 30, 45, 46 and 269M have all along been served by buses no longer than 10.6 metres due to the impact of the road surface on King Cho Road. With the retirement of plastic destination sign-equipped Dennis Trident 10.6-metre buses, the supply of short-bodied buses has become tighter, and in late November 2017, KMB relaxed the use of 12-metre mid-axle-driven double-decker and single-decked buses on the above routes, but 12-metre double-decked buses driven by the tail axle are still not allowed to be used, and a large number of 12-metre buses have been introduced to Route 269M. However, it was not until February 2018 that the Transport Department again banned 12-metre buses from running on King Cho Road again and resumed using buses of less than 10.6 metres and bBetween February 2018 and June 2020, Route 269M were mainly served by Dennis Trident (ATS) and Volvo Super Olympian (ASV) 10.6-metre buses as scheduled buses. With the retirement of these models and the replacement of Enviro400 (ATSE) and short-bodied single-decker buses with lower capacity to cope with the high holiday patronage, the supply of short-bodied buses has become tighter and in June 2020, KMB's newly introduced Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre buses (E6M) underwent on-route training and the result was a smooth trial, indicating that the restriction has been relaxed. Routes 45 and 269M were all replaced by Enviro500 MMC 11.3M buses (E6M), and 269M was changed from retirement route to show-off route.
Mong Kok East Station Public Transport Interchange	12-metre tail-axle-driven double-decker buses have difficulty in exiting from some of the lay-bys ({Routes 58X, 67X), and therefore 12-metre tail-axle-driven double-deck buses and Neoplan Centroliners have long been banned from serving on these routes using the lay-bys concerned. After testing, this restriction has been relaxed since 2011, with the addition of Volvo B9TL (AVBWU) buses to Route 58X.
All routes passing througn Stubbs Road roundabout	Prior to 24 March 2013, it was rumoured that the Stubbs Road roundabout was shallow and narrow, resulting in all routes passing through it (e.g., 6, 15, 15B, 19 (which has been replaced by Citybus' operation of the new route of the same number, which has been cancelled and replaced by Route 8X), 41A, 63, 66 and 76) could not be served by vehicles larger than 11.7 metres. Subsequently, prior to the commissioning of Citybus Route 19, Citybus deployed a number of 12-metre double-decker buses to conduct a trial run on the NWFB Route 19, and it was found that Enviro500/MMC (81XX-84XX) and Volvo Olympian (12m 324-329, 4XX-6XX, 11m 9XX/90XX, all retired) were found to be suitable. The two models are either centre-axle drive (Enviro500 MMC with tail-axle assisted steering system) or with centre-axle assisted steering system, which is capable of easily u-turning at the Stubbs Road roundabout, and can also cope with a section of Blue Pool Road between Broom Road and Tai Hang Road with a gradient of 1:6 (the slope of this road section on Hong Kong Island is second only to Aberdeen Reservoir Road at 1:5); and Dennis Dragon 12-metre buses (8XX, all retired), due to tail-axle drive and insufficient steering (commonly known as "insufficient steering"), may need to reverse in order to make successful U-turns. Therefore, after the commencement of Citybus Route 19, the above two buses were the main fleet. On the other hand, for Route 8X routes with Happy Valley (Lower) as the terminus, the 12-metre Dennis Dragon buses, which have poor steering, were still able to cope with the situation. The introduction of Citybus Route 19 also led to the first 12-metre double-deck bus service on Blue Pool Road opposite Poon Lung Road and Tai Hang Road (the section between Blue Pool Road and Stubbs Road roundabout) in Happy Valley. Subsequently, 19 routes were approved to use Enviro500 MMC 12.8 (6300-6443) from 26 January 2018 onwards, which also led to the first 12.8m double-decked buses running on the whole section of Sing Woo Road in Happy Valley, and the section of Blue Pool Road and Tai Hang Road opposite to Blue Pool Road (the section from Blue Pool Road to Stubbs Road roundabout), and proved that it is not impracticable to turn back 12.8m buses to turn around at the Stubbs Road roundabout. The bus deployed that night was (6424/VA8222).
Muk On Street	When Muk On Street was opened to traffic, the section west of Muk Ning Street was designated as a prohibited zone for vehicles of 11 metres or less in length because of the narrow U-turn at the end. When Route 20 was first introduced, buses were unable to enter the bus terminus at Muk Ning Street as the route was not yet completed, so Citybus took the temporary measure of providing a fleet of Enviro500 MMC Facelift 12/12.8 metre (6426-6443/8473-8490) double-decker buses with prohibited zone permit from Transport Department, so that they could turn around at the end of Muk On Street after dropping off passengers at the westbound stop at the temporary terminus at "Victoria Skye" and return to the starting point of the eastbound route to pick up passengers. According to internal guidelines, no other unauthorised buses are allowed on Route 20, except in the event of a service change. Subsequently, after much discussion between Citybus and the Transport Department, the Transport Department decided to open a section of Muk On Street west of Muk On Street to franchised buses from 8 June 2018 onwards. Since then, buses serving Route 20 do not need to obtain prior permits, the original restrictions on the use of buses are no longer in place, and the bus companies have more flexibility in the deployment of buses.
Kotewall Road and Oaklands Street	Affected by the road surface of Kotewall Road and Oaklands Street, NWFB had always stipulated that Route 13 could only be served by buses of 10.7 metres or less. Subsequently, the Dennis Dart 10.7/10.1 metres (20XX) and Dennis Trident 10.3/10.6 metres (16XX, 33XX) have been retired at an advanced age, resulting in a tight supply of suitable buses for the route. With the assistance of the Police and after road testing by NWFB, relaxation was made to allow the use of Young Man JNP6120GR 11.6m (260X) and Enviro500/MMC 11.3 metres (4000-4039/4040-4091) , showing that this restriction has been relaxed.
Tai Mong Tsai Road bus stop and Wong Shek Pier	Due to the narrow turnaround position at the Wong Shek Pier Terminus and the design of the bus stops in Tai Mong Tsai, the bus companies have all along mainly deployed vehicles of 10.6 metres (11.3 metres prior to 6 September 2016) or below to serve the routes (including Routes 94 and 96R) that use the terminus. The launching of Routes 289R and R94 in March and April 2019 respectively, with 12-metre buses running on these routes, indicates that the restriction on the use of vehicles at Wong Shek Pier no longer exists, and the restriction on the use of these routes has therefore been shifted to the bus stop at Tai Mong Tsai, and that after the discontinuation of routes 94 and 96R detouring via Tai Mong Tsai Carpark from 31 May, there are no more sections along the route which are unsuitable for 12-metre vehicles and hence the restriction on the use of vehicles no longer exists.
Deep Water Bay Road	Due to the narrow and winding road surface of Deep Water Bay Road, Citybus has been stipulating that only buses of 11.7 metres or less are allowed to operate on the routes using these road sections. The 2018-2019 Bus Route Planning Programme proposed to launch CityflyerA17 via Deep Water Bay Road, but all Cityflyer routes are operated by vehicles of 12 metres or above. After road testing by Citybus, the use of Enviro500 MMC 12 metres (80XX) was approved for Route A17 and the restriction was lifted.
Lei Pui Street	KMB routes 31M and N237 routes have all along been affected by the road surface at Lei Pui Street and can only be served by buses no longer than 10.6 metres, and Route 31M once even served by Volvo Olympian 11 metres (AV). With the retirement of Dennis Trident (ATS) and Volvo Super Olympian (ASV) 10.6-metre buses, coupled with the fact that the Enviro400 (ATSE) and short-bodied single-deck buses replacing the former two models have a lower capacity and are unable to cope with the high passenger volume during peak hours, the supply of short-bodied buses has become increasingly tight. After KMB's road tests, the Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre buses (E6M) newly introduced by KMB underwent on-route training in June 2020, and the result of the successful trial showed that the restriction had been relaxed. Route 31M was also converted to use Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre buses (E6M), which have since been changed from a retirement route to a show-off route in no time at all.
Ping Ha Road near Hang Mei Tsuen	Due to the road surface of Ping Ha Road near the section of Hang Mei Tsuen, KMB routes 53, 276 and MTR Bus Route K65 can only be served by buses under 10.6 metres. With the retirement of Dennis Trident (KMB ATS, MTR Bus 701-747) and replaced by Enviro400/Euro V (KMB ATSE, MTR Bus 140-150) and other short-bodied single-decked buses of lower capacity, they are unable to cope with the high holiday patronage, while Volvo Super Olympian(ASV) 10.6-metre buses have poor steering performance, and the supply of short-bodied buses is becoming tight. After road tests on MTR Bus and KMB, in July 2017, MTR Bus relaxed the use of 11.3-metre buses with centre-axle drive, such as KCRC's first-hand Dennis Trident (601-622, all retired) and Enviro500 MMC (504-545). In June 2020, KMB's newly introduced Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre bus (E6M) underwent on-route training, and the result of a successful trial demonstrated that the restriction had been relaxed, and the bus model was deployed on the entire Route 276. However, in the above section, buses travelling back and forth between lanes are still required to give way when meeting each other.
Fan Kam Road (section south of Po Kin Road)	The KMB Route 77K has been affected by the narrow road surface of Fan Kam Road (the section south of Po Kin Road) and can only be served by buses no longer than 10.6 metres, although the route was previously served by Volvo Olympian 11 metres (AV) in 2012. With the Dennis Trident (ATS) and Volvo Super Orinbian( ASV) 10.6-metre buses have started to retire one after another. Coupled with the fact that the Enviro400 (ATSE) and short-bodied single-decker buses replacing the former two models have a lower carrying capacity and are unable to cope with the high holiday patronage, the supply of short-bodied buses has become increasingly tight. After KMB's road tests, KMB's newly introduced Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre bus (E6M) underwent on-road training in June 2020, and the result was a successful trial, indicating that the restriction has been relaxed.
Lam Kam Road	KMB Routes 64K, 64P and 65K have long been served by buses no longer than 10.6 metres due to the steep gradient of the road surface on Lam Kam Road and the fact that the road is legally classified as a prohibited zone for vehicles of 11 metres or less in length only. With the retirement of the Dennis Trident (ATS), the replacement Enviro400 (ATSE) and short-bodied single-decked buses with lower capacity are unable to cope with the high holiday patronage, and the Volvo Super Olympian (ASV) 10.6-metre buses with poorer hill-climbing performance, the supply of short-bodied buses is becoming tight. After KMB's road tests, the Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre bus (E6M) newly introduced by KMB underwent on-road training in July 2020, and the trial went smoothly. As vehicles over 11 metres are prohibited from entering Lam Kam Highway, KMB applied for a Prohibited Zone Permit from the Transport Department for the Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre (E6M) buses equipped with tree barriers. According to internal guidelines, no other 11.3-metre buses without a Closed Area Permit or tree guards are allowed to operate on Route 64K, except in the event of service deployment, indicating that this restriction has been relaxed. In August of the same year, a large number of these buses were replaced on Route 64K, which was changed from a retirement route to a show-off route.
Chianti (The Pavilion)	The 1st generation DBTSL Route 9A could only be served by buses no longer than 11.3 metres due to the narrow roundabout at Chianti (The Pavilion). However MAN A22s (DBAY199/VR9522 and DBAY117/VU4770) began to break the restriction and served on Route 9A. Route 9, which uses MAN A22 as its common vehicle, replaced its service after the cancellation of the route, symbolising that the vehicle restriction was lifted.
Tai Tong Shan Road	KMB Route 68R has always been affected by the narrow road surface of Tai Tong Shan Road, and can only be served by buses no longer than 10.6 metres in length (buses up to 11.3 metres are allowed to serve the Tai Tong Shan Road special service of MTR Bus Route K66, which has a roundabout as its terminus). As Dennis Trident (ATS) and Volvo Super Olympian (ASV) 10.6-metre buses began to retire one by one, and the Enviro400 (ATSE) and short-bodied single-decker buses replacing the former two had a lower capacity to cope with the high holiday patronage, short-bodied bus fleets became increasingly tight. On 4 November 2020, KMB dispatched Enviro500 MMC 11.3-metre (E6M) and 12-metre (ATENU) buses to Tai Tong for evaluation and trial of Route 68R , with a successful performance. This restriction has been relaxed as evidenced by the approval of 12-metre long double-decker buses with centre-axle drive on Route 68R from December 2020 onwards. However, the special frequency of Route K66, which also serves Tai Tong Shan Road, has been extended to the Jockey Club Tai Tong Holiday Camp, and Routes K66A and K66S, which have been assigned separate route numbers, have not yet been relaxed and are only allowed to serve buses of less than 11.3 metres in length.
Lung Kwu Tan Road and Nim Wan Road	Due to the narrow road surface and more trees along Lung Kwu Tan Road and Nim Wan Road, KMB Route 56S can only run Enviro500 MMC (ATENU/3ATENU) equipped with tree barriers when it came into service in 2020. However, starting from the Ching Ming Festival in 2021, Route 56S were operated by buses that are not equipped with tree barriers, and occasionally by 12-metre buses driven by tail axles, which means that the restriction on the use of vehicles has been lifted.

Route changes or cancellations

Routes once with vehicle restrictions
Location or section	Route(s) involved and situation
Deep Bay Road and Nim Wan Road	KMB routes 57 and 58 have been limited to Albion 13 due to the narrow and winding nature of Deep Bay Road and Nim Wan Road and the constraints of single lane two-way traffic there. With the discontinuation of the two routes on 1 March 1984 and their replacement by New Territories Green Minibus (GMB) routes 33 and 35, the restriction on the use of vehicles had since disappeared.
Shing Mun Reservoir  Terminus Including Shing Mun Road between Pineapple Dam of Shing Mun Reservoir and Wo Yi Hop Road	Due to the constraints of the steeply sloping and narrow winding Shing Mun Road between Pineapple Dam and Wo Yi Hop Road in Shing Mun Reservoir, as well as the design of the Shing Mun Reservoir terminus and the lack of turnaround space, KMB routes 32(1st generation) and 32R which have been converted to holiday services can only be served by the Albion 13 and Albion 17. The restriction disappeared when the line ceased operation on 1 April 1987 and was replaced by the New Territories GMB Routes 81, 82 and 94S respectively.
Mayfair Gardens Bus Terminus	Due to road surface problems at the podium of the housing estate off Block 6 where the terminus was located, double-decker buses were prohibited from entering, so all buses on Route 243M terminating at that stop could only be served by single-decked buses at that time. At that time, if double-decker buses were used, they would turn around at Ching Hong Road instead of entering the Mayfair Gardens Bus Terminus. The restriction was not lifted until 1994 when the terminus was relocated to the roadside outside the entrance of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi Campus) at Sai Shan Road.
San Uk Ka and Tat Wan Road	Due to road restrictions on the section of Tat Wan Road near San Uk Ka, KMB Route 223 could only be served by 24-seater Toyota Coaster (AT) single-decked air-conditioned buss. The driver strike action on New Territories GMB Route 23K ended on 17 May, 1994, and the restriction disappeared with it.
Anderson Road, Po Lam Rad South and Rennie's Mill Bus Terminus	Due to the constraints of narrow and winding roads and single two-way traffic along Anderson Road and Po Lam Road South, KMB's first generation Route 290 and first generation 90 were limited to the use of the Albion CH13AXL and the Toyota Coaster (AT) single-decker air-conditioned buses, and the latter were constrained to use the poor road conditions on Anderson Road and were suspended during inclement weather. This restriction disappeared with the demolition of the Rennie's Mill (or Tiu Keng Leng) squatter area and the cancellation of the two routes on 13 October and 20 October 1996 respectively, which meant that no more franchised bus routes passed through those sections.
Kai Tak Airport Departure Hall (includes Departures Circuit)	Due to the underfloor problem at the Departures Circuit of the Kai Tak Airport Terminus (Departures Circuit, double-decker buses could not enter the Departures Circuit (Departures Level), and therefore the KMB routes A1, A2, A3, A4 A5, A7, A8, A9, and CMB's route A20 and Citybus' route 757 could only be served by single-decker buses. This restriction disappeared on 6 July 1998 when the routes were cancelled following the closure of Kai Tak Airport and its relocation to Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok.
Kwun Tong MTR Station	Due to the design of the pits at the Kwun Tong MTR station, KMB Route 13M could only be served by short-bodied buses, such as Daimler Fleetline (D), Dennis Dominator (DM), Leyland Olympian 9.7 metres (BL), and air-conditioned buses, such as Dennis Dragons 9.9 metres (ADS). The restriction was lifted in 2009 when the terminus was relocated to Kwun Tong (Elegance Road).
Ngau Tau Kok Road	The KMB Route 28, which used to use a rather narrow lay-by that limited KMB to buses of 10.6 metres or less, was relieved of this restriction when it was converted to use the same lay-by as KMB Route 13X with effect from 7 April 2013.
China Ferry Terminal Bus Terminus	Prior to 10 June 2012, special trips of KMB Route 270A and Route 270P used China Ferry Terminal as their terminus, and on 10 June 2012, this restriction was lifted when Route 270A was extended to Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road), the special trips of Route 270A were cancelled, and Route 270P changed to use Kowloon Station as its terminus, but before that, Route 270P was always operated by Volvo Olympian 11 metres (AV).
Sheung Foo Street	Prior to 29 June 2003 (the opening of the new Ho Man Tin Public Transport Interchange), KMB Route 17 could only be served by buses of 10.6 metres or less. Prior to that, KMB even introduced additional Route 217P to provide air-conditioned service for Route 17 specifically because of the arch in Ho Man Tin Estate.
Siu Lek Yuen Bus Terminus	Due to the design of the terminus lay-by, KMB routes 80K and 86, which served as the terminus in the mid-to-late 1980s, could only be served by buses of less than 11.3 metres. In 1989, when Kwong Yuen Estate began to be occupied, Route 86 was extended to Wong Nai Tau, and Route 80K was shortened to Yuen Chau Kok, and the restriction was lifted.
Tai Lam  Bus Terminus (including Tai Lam Chung Road)	Due to the design of the Tai Lam Village terminus and road surface problems at Tai Lam Chung Road, KCR Bus Route 521, which served as the terminus during the early years of LRT service, could only be served by 24-seat minibuses, such as the Toyota Coaster (160-171). 1990 saw the relocation of the Tai Lam terminus of Route 521 to the junction of Castle Peak Road and Tai Lam Chung Road , which allowed it to be served by double-decked buses. However, at that time, the Tai Lam bus terminus, which was designed as a roundabout, had not yet been completed, and buses had to drive to Ma Wan Pier as an empty bus after dropping off passengers at the Tai Lam terminus before they could turn around and return to the Tuen Mun direction, resulting in unstable schedules, a situation which was not resolved until the Tai Lam temporary turnaround point and the opening of the permanent terminus on 7 September in 1992.
Yuen Long (Fook Hong Street) Bus Terminus (including Fook Hong Street and Sau Fu Street)	Due to the narrow road surface of the section between Fuk Hong Street and Shou Fu Street and the design of the Yuen Long (Fuk Hong Street) terminus, KCR Bus Route 670 was limited to Toyota Coaster (160-171) and Mitsubishi MK 117J (301-311) in the past, and was discontinued on 7 August 2004 in response to the restructuring of the route following the commissioning of the KCR West Rail (now part of MTR Tuen Ma Line). Since then, no bus route has been running to the above terminus and section.
Tin Ping Road	Due to the design constraints of the Fung Nam Road and Construction Industry Training Centre intermediate stops, double-door buses are not allowed to pick up or set down passengers at the doors at the same time at those stops, and therefore KMB has been allocating only single-door buses to serve Route 270.With the retirement of single-door buses from KMB Sheung Shui Depot , this resulted in a tightening of the supply of suitable vehicles for the route. As a result, a newly licensed two-door bus was assigned to the route as a scheduled bus. Although the bus stop expansion project at Fung Nam Road Sub-station was commenced and completed in September 2011, the stop expansion project at the Construction Industry Training Centre intermediate stop has not been implemented. In order to accommodate the narrow station space, double-door buses would only open the boarding doors when arriving at the station and allow passengers on board to alight from the bus before allowing passengers waiting for boarding at the stop; until September 2014 when the terminus of the 270 route was changed to Tsui Lai Garden as the terminus, the above arrangement was no longer applicable as the stop became the first intermediate stop after the terminus, and no passengers would alight from the bus at the station under normal circumstances. The expansion of the station at the Construction Industry Training Centre intermediate stop eventually commenced in October 2022 and was completed within the month.
Ying Hong Street	Due to the lack of turnaround space at Ying Hong Street, NLB Route 37M can only be served by buses under 10.6 metres (e.g. Mitsubishi Rosa) or buses that have been issued with a prohibited zone permit, and the restriction on the use of the service was lifted as soon as it is no longer detoured via Ying Hong Street from 16 February 2017 onwards.
Left turn from Wang Tat Road to Fung Chi Road	Due to the narrowness of the left turn of Wang Tat Road into Fung Chi Road, KMB routes 68A and 76K towards Long Ping Estate could only use 10.6 metres (11.3 metres prior to 6 September 2016) or less in the past, and the latter had only been used by the 12-metre buses of Route 277X in the morning from Long Ping Estate in order to use 12-metre buses in the morning. 28 September 2013 and 27 January 2018, the two routes were diverted to Long Ping Estate via Wang Lok Street and Fuk Hi Street and the 12-metre buses have been running unimpeded since then.
Bayview Garden Bus Terminus (Space when exiting)	The KMB Routes 234X and 234P routes passing through the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) have all along been affected by the exit space of the Bayview Garden Bus Terminus, and can only be served by 10.6-metre buses or Volvo B7RLE 12-metre single-decker buses. However, as the Government would tighten the standards for low emission zones in late 2015, the number of Enviro400 10.5-metre (ATSE) buses, which was the only model available at that time, was limited, and single-decker buses had a lower capacity, and KMB reorganised the lay-by allocation at the Bayview Garden Bus Terminus on 28 November in the same year. These two routes were subsequently converted to use the lay-bys of the original Route 34 to allow the use of low-emission 12-metre medium-axle-drive buses, and at the same time symbolising the shift of restriction on the use of Route 234X to Routes 34 and 34M, which were converted to use the lay-bys of the original Route 234X.
KMB Routes HK1, HK2, HK3	Due to the 2008 Olympic Committee's requirement that Olympic-related vehicles must be environmentally friendly, HK1, HK2 and HK3 routes can only operate buses that comply with the Euro III or above emission standards and can only carry advertisements of advertisers participating in the sponsorship of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games or can only use buses without advertisements (commonly known as "all-gold buses"). This restriction was removed when the three routes ceased operation after the Equestrian Events.
Bayshore Towers  Terminus	Due to the problem with the ceiling of the terminus, buses taller than 4 metres were prohibited from entering the terminus, so Routes 274P and [[KMB Route 285 {1st generation)|285]] that terminated at the stop at that time could only be served by single-decker buses. It was only after the cessation of Route 285 and the extension of Route 274P to Wu Kai Sha Station that double-decker buses were introduced.
Tung Chung Station Goods Loading and Unloading Area 1	Due to the length restriction of the loading/unloading area, vehicles longer than 7 metres are not allowed to enter, therefore NLB Route 37H was only allowed to use Mitsubishi Rosa, and vehicles entering the terminus were required to apply for a Closed Area Permit. The detour via the stop was later cancelled in order to increase the number of large low-floor buses operating on the route.
Smithfield	It has been reported that the NWFB Route 43X, which used to run along the above road section, is mostly serviced by Dennis Dart 10.1/10.7m (20XX) single-decker buses due to the difficulty of passing double-deck buses due to the presence of low trees along the extended section of Smithfield, and that Route 43X was discontinued on 17 May 2015 due to the commissioning of the full service of Western Extension of the MTR Island Line. Since then, no bus route has been running along the above section. Subsequently, from June 2019 onwards, due to the anti-ELAB protests, MTR Feeder Bus Route S1A has been running on the above road section again after a gap of nearly 15 years as a result of the closure of the Admiralty Station and the curtailment of the South Island Line trains to run between South Horizons Station and Ocean Park Station.
Lower Albert Road	The corner of Lower Albert Road and Ice House Street was so narrow that the NWFB23A (cancelled) and cross-harbour routes 103 could only be operated by vehicles of less than 10.7 metres, and were discontinued in September 1995 after Route 103 was re-routed after changed to operate by Citybus and Kowloon Motor Bus (believed to be due to the lack of suitable vehicles for Citybus); and from 5 December 2009, Route 23A also ceased to run through this section until it was cancelled. After the re-routing of Route 103, KMB trips were replaced by Dennis Dragon 11 metres (AD), but Citybus had not yet ordered any Volvo Olympian 11 metres (9XX/90XX) at that time, so Leyland Olympian 10.4 metres (2XX) were the main vehicle used until the following year. After the re-routing of Route 23A, only buses of 10.7m or less were deployed until 14 July 2013 when it was cancelled due to demand.
Tai Mong Tsai	Due to the narrow lay-bys at the bus stops near the kiosks at Tai Mong Tsai Car Park and the restrictions on the use of vehicles at Wong Shek Pier, Routes 94 and 96R are only serviced by buses of 10.6 metres (11.3 metres prior to 6 September 2016) or less, but starting from 31 May 2019 the bus layover at the original Tai Mong Tsai Car Park was relocated to Tai Mong Tsai Road, with Route 94 running a large number of 12-metre buses on the day of the relocation and from the first weekend after the relocation for Route 96R, and the restrictions on the use of the Tai Mong Tsai no longer apply.
LWB Routes A37 and NA37	Since the commencement of operation of Route A37, the design of Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Yuen Road) Bus Terminus has prevented the use of 12.8 metres buses, whereas Route NA37 did not stop at the Hung Yuen Road Terminus but the restriction on the use of buses applies to the route due to dispatching of buses from Route A37. With effect from 20 June 2021, due to the relocation of the terminus to Long Ping Station to tie in with the Tuen Mun Chek Lap Kok Tunnel-related bus service reorganisations, the two routes were served by 12.8-metre buses (15XX/25XX/UE6X), and the relevant restriction on the use of the route was lifted.

Retirement of older model of buses

The following vehicle restrictions are rendered meaningless by the fact that the non-compliant fleets have all been retired.

Road sections where vehicle restrictions were once imposed
Location or section	Situation
Aberdeen Reservoir Road	In the 1980s and 1990s, there were not many models that could easily go up this 1:5-gradient ramp, and CMB and Citybus used only Guy Arab V (LX) and later Leyland Victory II (LV) and Dennis Jubilant (DS). The problem was solved when NWFB and Citybus acquired a number of better performing vehicles.
Chai Wan Road, Pok Fu Lam Road (Chi Fu - Wah Fu section), etc.	In 1992, the Transport Department advised franchised bus companies to use vehicles with gearboxes fitted with retarders on routes with gradients of 1:10 or more; at that time, there were still a considerable number of CMB vehicles that did not meet this condition (e.g. Daimler/Leyland Fleetline) and had to be avoided on such routes. As these vehicles were retired, the restriction became meaningless.
Tai Lam Tunnel	With the opening of the Tai Lam Tunnel in 1998, the Transport Department banned the continuation of non-air-conditioned buses on routes passing through the Tunnel in view of the air quality problem caused by the diversion of many vehicles from Tuen Mun Road to the urban areas. However, with the retirement of all non-air-conditioned buses on 9 May 2012, this restriction has become meaningless.
Nethersole Hospital, Tai Po	As only Route 71K served there, KMB restricted the use of buses on Route 71K to only low-floor buses on demand from Tai Po District for the convenience of passengers plying to and from the hospital . With the full fleet of KMB buses being low-floorised on 7 July 2017, this restriction has naturally lost its significance.
Mong Kok East Station Public Transport Interchange	The Dennis Dragon 12-metre buses (3AD) and Neoplan Centroliner (AP) are affected by the partial lay-by locations (58X, 67X) of the Mong Kok East Station PTI, and therefore the Dennis Dragon 12-metre buses (3AD) and Neoplan Centroliner (AP) are not allowed to be used on routes using the lay-bys concerned. On 26 July 2016 and 7 September 2018, this restriction was rendered meaningless with the final retirement of the Dennis Dragon 12-metre buses (3AD) and the Neoplan Centroliner (AP) buses.
China Ferry Terminal (including entrance/exit ramp)	Due to the bottom scraping issues of the entrance/exit ramp at the China Ferry Terminal, all KMB routes terminating at China Ferry Terminal are not allowed to be operated by Neoplan Centroliner 12-metre buses (AP). On 7 September, 2018, with the decommissioning of the last two second-generation Neoplan Centroliners (AP86, AP88), this restriction has lost its significance.
Routes passing through a section of Pok Fu Lam Road near Li Sing Primary School	Due to the road width of Pok Fu Lam Road near Li Sing Primary School, NWFB banned the use the Neoplan Centroliner and Citybus banned use the Scania K94UB buses. In February and 3 July 2019, with the final retirement of the Neoplan Centroliners and the Scania K94UB in succession, this restriction has lost its meaning.

Unknown/other reasons

Routes or road sections previously with vehicle restrictions
Route(s) or road section(s) involved	Situation
Cross-Harbour Bus Route 106 (Ridership and deployment of buses)	The routing of Route 106 is much more circuitous than that of Yaumati Ferry's Sai Wan Ho to Kowloon City route, which has resulted in the low patronage of Route 106, and the bus company could only use buses no longer than 10.6 metres to operate the route. After the permanent cessation of the ferry service on 28 March 1987, in response to the rising cross-harbour patronage of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, KMB started to operate 11-metre buses on Route 106 the following year, while CMB switched to deploying Dennis Condor (DL, DM) supplemented by Ailsa Volvo (AL) and MCW Metrobus in 1990 (ML), showing that this restriction has been lifted.
Nam Cheong Street (east of Pak Wan Street) (Road conditions)	The use of 12-metre tail-axle-driven buses was once prohibited on the Nam Cheong Street route via the section to the east of Pak Wan Street because of bottom scraping issues when such buses were travelling on the sloped road along that section, but KMB used to use such double-decker buses on the special trips from Chak On Estate of Route 104, Routes 2B, 86, 86A, 87C, 87A and 886. Among them, Route 87B has been replaced by Volvo Super Olympian 12 metres (3ASV) as a scheduled bus since 2007, indicating that this restriction has been lifted.
Citybus Route 3B (Ridership and deployment of buses)	The cancelled Route 3B, which had experienced a surge in patronage since late 2012, was banned from using single-decker buses from January 2013, but was subsequently relaxed in September of the same year.
Hollywood Road (Road conditions)	The bottleneck near Peel Street stop has resulted in Routes 26 and H1 being served by buses of 11.3 metres or less only, but since 16 May 2015, NWFB has been sending modified Dennis Trident 12 metres (1215-1219) to replace Volvo Olympian 11 metres (VA51-55) as the main buses on Route H1 (before that, NWFB had also sent Volvo Super Olympians (50XX) for road tests ), with the Enviro500 MMC 12m (5663) being a spare bus, and the Young Man JNP6120GR 11.6m (260X) on Route 26, suggesting that the restriction has been lifted. Nevertheless, as Route 26 shares its fleet with another Route 81 which also terminates at Lai Tak Tsuen, and Route 81 to Hing Wah Estate has to pass through the shallow and narrow }Fung Ha Road roundabout, Route 26 has not been able to operate with 12-metre buses until 5 March 2022 when it started to operate with 12-metre buses.
Aberdeen Reservoir Road (Road conditions and bus deployment issues)	Aberdeen Reservoir Road has a slope of 1:5, and not many models can cope with this 1:5 slope. Citybus Route 7 is only served buses of 11.3 metres or less to run on it, while Cross-Harbour Bus Route 971, which also passes through Aberdeen Reservoir Road, often used 12-metre buses of different types of medium-axle drives, except that it does not use Volvo B9TL 12-metre (5200-5224) buses as far as possible. The actual reason is that Citybus tends not to deploy 12-metre buses on the sloped route via Pok Fu Lam Road near Li Sing Primary School and 7 needs to alternate with 12 and 76 routes with vehicle restrictions.
Routes passing through a downhill section of Pok Fu Lam Road near Li Sing Primary School (Road conditions and bus deployment issues)	Due to the road width of Pokfulam Road near Li Sing Primary School, the bus companies would not deploy 12-metre buses on this road section before 2007, and the 970 routes of High Passenger Volume at that time were mainly served by the 11-metre old buses such as DA, LA, VA. This restriction was later relaxed to allow Dennis Trident and Enviro500/MMC 12-metre buses to run on this route, and they became the main vehicles used on Route 970. Currently, NWFB mainly operates Enviro500/Enviro500 MMC 12 metres (5500-5582/5583-5851) on the 4, 91 and 970 routes with centre-axle-driven Volvo B9TL 12 metres (5200-5200-5224), and less frequently Volvo B9TL 12 metres (5200-5224) on Routes 4, 91 and 970 routes, while routes 7 and 71 are only served by buses of 11.3 metres or less. It is rumoured that the former need to alternate with routes 12 and 76 which have vehicle restrictions, while the latter are not much in demand.
LWB Routes A31, A33,A33P, A36, A41, A41P and A47 (Bus deployment issues)	LWB's new airport buses were the first to enter service on Routes A43 and A43P from June 2016 onwards. To ensure sufficient coach version buses were available on the two routes, LWB prohibited the then newly-registered Enviro500 MMC 12m coaxch version (55XX) and its 12.8-metre version (15XX) from operating on these routes, which resulted in the above seven routes not being able to be serviced by coach Buses, and instead, only the 12-metre semi-coach version of the Enviro500 MMC (65XX) or other urban buses. With more 15XX in service and 12.8 metre buses permitted on some routes, the tightness of the coach version bus fleet was eased. Except for Route A41, the restriction on the remaining six routes were gradually released from June to September of the same year, and were replaced by Enviro500 MMC 12-metre coach version (55XX) and its 12.8-metre version (15XX). However, due to the commencement of Routes A37 and A47X, and the upgrading of A33 and A36 to whole-day services, there were no more luxury buses left to operate on Route A41, which was only replaced by the second batch of Enviro500 MMC coach version buses (15XX and 55XX) came into service in November of the same year that a one-off replacement of luxury buses was made, indicating that the restriction on the use of the buses had been lifted.
NWFB Routes 9, 14 and 15 (Bus deployment issues)	When the low-profile version of NWFB's Enviro400 Euro V first came into service in November 2016, it was prohibited from operating on Routes 9, 14 and 15 due to a lack of approval from the Transport Department (TD), resulting in only the low-height version of the Dennis Trident 10.3-metre (33XX) buses continuing to be allowed to operate on the three routes (Dennis Trident 10.6m (16XX, 3601) buses can be used on Routes 9 and 14) or Dennis Dart SLF 10.1 m single-decker buses (20XX), but formal approval to use them was granted on 24 and 28 April as well as 5 May respectively in 2017.

Related Articles

ERTHK Article:

Vehicle restrictions

The Encyclopedia of Ferry Transport in Hong Kong Wiki:

Vessel restrictions

External Links

• 禁令 (Vehicle bans), hkdiscuss.
• [列舉]在同一長度中,唔係款款車都用得既線 ([Listing] Routes that cannot use fleets of all models within the same length), hkitalk.net

To facilitate quoting and enquiries, the following redirect page(s) will direct to this page:

Vehicle restriction, Ban, Bans, Prohibition, Prohibitions, Model restriction and Model restrictions

Template:Bus Route List Navbox