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Written by: Zhong Yan
2021-04-27 00:00
Last update date: 2021-04-27 02:34
NWFB and Citybus were approved to increase their fares by 12% earlier. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor once said that the bus company has "lost the meat". If the fare increase is not approved, the service will be affected.
The management of NWFB and Citybus said in an interview that the two buses are still losing money after the fare increase. They lacked government subsidies in recent months, and the losses are more than last year. They do not rule out applying for fare increases.
At the same time, the two buses will also try to go out of Hong Kong Island and open up local routes in the new development areas in the New Territories and Kowloon. They are expected to integrate nearly half of the routes on Hong Kong Island and set up interchange stations in the 4 districts of Hong Kong Island so that routes can be streamlined and merged.
NWFB and Citybus Commercial Director Wu Yijun (left) and NWFB and Citybus Planning and Scheduling Manager Huang Hanzhong (right) drove two new routes respectively yesterday. Among them, the route of No. 976 from Xintian to Sai Wan Ho was an expansion of Citybus. New lines to San Tin and Kam Tin.
(Photo by Zheng Zifeng)
The pandemic has eased and there are still 10% fewer customers
NWFB and Citybus Commercial Director Wu Yijun pointed out that under the epidemic, the passenger volume of the two buses had fallen by 40%. Even if it gradually stabilized, the passenger volume of buses still fell by 10%. Especially for the airport port line, the overnight line fell by more than half.
The government earlier approved the two buses to increase their fares by 12% in two phases starting from April. Wu Yijun said that the fare increase application was submitted before the epidemic in August 2019. The current fare increase is only enough to recover the loss in 2019. "Even if the fare increase is completed, it will be the same. Eclipse tight".
Chief Executive Tan Limin also pointed out that after the end of government subsidies last year, losses in recent months have been greater than in 2020.
Asked whether the two bus companies will consider applying for a fare increase when the loss continues, Wu Yijun admitted that it is under consideration, but said that the Transport Department also has its calculations. Now it will first look at the situation after the second phase of the fare increase next year before making a decision. We have to consider all aspects, because our finances are squeezing money and we have to find a way to deal with it," he said, saying that it will simultaneously consider reorganizing routes and adjusting services to stop the loss.
NWFB and Citybus said that as of April, the number of passengers in the morning and evening peak hours of the two buses and the Hong Kong Island route network was still more than 10% less than before the epidemic in January last year, and the number of early morning passengers was still about 30%.
Related reading: Kai Tak route is not afraid of the opening of the Tuen Ma line, and Citybus has financial considerations for the development of electric vehicles
Integrate Hong Kong Island Line to cut or adjust nearly half of the route
The two bus services are concentrated on the Hong Kong Island area, but the MTR South Island Line and the Hong Kong Island West Extension Line have been opened to traffic, taking away many passengers. Wu Yijun believes that the reorganization of the Hong Kong Island Line "is a pressing problem."
He said that a number of routes on Hong Kong Island were full in the past, but there are still vacancies during peak hours after the railway is available. The overall passenger volume is "not 20%," but the profits cannot catch up.
NWFB and Citybus’s planning and scheduling manager Huang Hanzhong added that after the opening of the South Island Line, passenger traffic in the Southern District fell by about 30%, but its bus frequency was only reduced by about 15%.
Therefore, Wu revealed that the two buses will reorganize the Hong Kong Island route, which is expected to involve half of the Hong Kong Island line.
He gave an example. The bus route in the Southern District needs to serve 3 housing estates in South Horizons, Lei Tung Village and Ap Lei Chau. "There are 3 villages and 3 destinations. How can I get to 9 lines?" Huang Han said, At present, interchange points have been set up outside Queen Mary Hospital and the toll plaza of the Aberdeen Tunnel. It is also pointed out that the waiting space of the Aberdeen Tunnel is narrow and there is a chance to set up an interchange station at Wong Chuk Hang. Route), the passengers will be free to go to the transfer point and transfer to another main line (route). This will make the waiting time of passengers not too long, and it will also make our network more compatible with the overall public transportation network situation in Hong Kong. ."
Citybus 4 new routes and interchange discounts
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Plan to set up transfer stations in Causeway Bay and Sai Wan Ho
In addition to the addition of an interchange station on the southern bus line, the urban area of Hong Kong Island will also gradually be integrated. Wu Yijun revealed that he is discussing with the government and believes that the area from Paterson Street to Tongli Music Store in Wan Chai, outside of Causeway Bay Department Store and Hysan Place, is A good distribution center; and the four newly opened routes yesterday all use Sai Wan Ho as the terminus. Wu believes that there are many buses that can be interchanged out of King's Road, and some of the Hong Kong Island lines may be combined.
Breaking out of the Hong Kong Island line for the new development area, expanding the local line in the Kowloon New Territories
In addition to merging the Hong Kong Island line to "cut expenditure", the two bus companies also said that they would "open up" new development areas to improve finances.
Wu Yijun pointed out that Citybus will continue to revise and subtract the route in the Kai Tak New Development Area. In addition to the line 976 opened yesterday, from San Tin to Sai Wan Ho, it is also expected that there will be development near San Tin, but I believe that this line will still be developed. "Stay for a while."
The two bus companies are also determined to enter the New Territories and Kowloon routes to compete with the KMB. Wu Zhi noticed that the government will start looking for contractors for multiple bus routes in the New Territories in the future. "I hope that through this opportunity, I can leave Hong Kong Island and go to Kowloon. , And even local routes in Kowloon and the New Territories."
Seeing the New Territories cross-district market to set up a meeting point in the middle of Tin Shui Wai
The new development areas that are currently being launched include Kwu Tung and Hung Shui Kiu. Among them, Kwu Tung Station is expected to be completed in 2027, or the first batch of public housing tenants may not be able to catch up with the first batch of public housing tenants. Whether the two bus companies will consider moving in, Wu said it depends The route combination of the Transport Department says, "We really want to do this in the New Development Area, but we have to keep a close watch and bury a financial system." This means that the NWFB had already entered when the Tseung Kwan O Line was not open to traffic. It’s been 10 years.” It has only improved in recent years. I think it’s best for the Transport Department to have both an inner line and an outer line in the planning.
As for the Hung Shui Bridge, the government is planning to set up an environmentally friendly transportation system. Huang Hanzhong said that even with this system, local residents may still have to rely on the light rail to connect to nearby areas, but the light rail is now very crowded and thinks it can provide The direct bus route to the nearby area still meets the needs of the area.
Wu Yijun also pointed out that, like Tin Shui Wai, the railway is located in the south, while the central and northern areas of Tin Shui Wai need to transfer trains to reach the MTR station. If the city bus can set up a junction in Tin Shui Wai, it will have an advantage.
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Citybus operates four peak-hour routes between the New Territories and the Eastern District, the West Tunnel, and the Central-Wan Chai Bypass
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