Transcriptions | |
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Standard Mandarin | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Gōnggòng Xiǎoxíng Bāshì |
Yue:Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Gūngguhng Síuyìhng Bāsí |
Jyutping | Gung1gung6 Siu2jing4 Baa1si2 |
Transcriptions | |
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Standard Mandarin | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Xiǎobā |
Yue:Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Síubā |
Jyutping | Siu2baa1 |
The public light bus (PLB) or minibus is a public transport service in Hong Kong. It uses minibuses to provide quicker transport and to serve areas that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. The vehicles are colloquially known by the code-switch Van仔 (Van Jái) literally "van-ette".
Depending on the type of vehicle,minibuses carry a maximum of 16 or 19 seated passengers;no standing passengers are allowed. Minibuses typically offer a faster and more efficient transportation solution due to their small size,limited carrying capacity,frequency and diverse range of routes,although they are generally slightly more expensive than standard buses. The popularity of minibus services in Hong Kong can be attributed to Hong Kong's high population density,as well as their ability to navigate narrow and winding roads which standard buses cannot.
Minibuses in Hong Kong are licensed either as green minibuses (GMBs) or red minibuses (RMBs), [1] the former restricted to fixed-fare,fixed-route operation,the latter not so restricted. RMBs substitute red for green on the external roof of the car,although originally the distinction was made by the colour of the stripe around the midsection of the vehicle. Otherwise,the two versions of minibus are identical in appearance,both sporting a predominantly cream-coloured body.
Most minibuses are Toyota Coasters,but a new and environmentally friendly Iveco Daily Green minibus has also been introduced as part of a recent scheme in Hong Kong to increase the quality of the buses. Most of the buses run on Autogas (liquefied petroleum gas or LPG). This type of fuel is not only cheaper,but also reduces particulate emissions. The transport commission is making further efforts to reduce emissions by providing incentives for bus drivers to make the switch to even more efficient electric vehicles. [2]
As of 2014,there were 4,350 public minibuses in Hong Kong,of which 3,150 were GMBs and 1,200 were RMBs. The operations of these two types of services are regulated through conditions imposed by the Commissioner for Transport under the passenger service licences (PSLs). [3]
Since the income of minibus drivers are usually earned individually rather than paid by companies,speeding is very common among minibus drivers so that they can earn more by driving more rounds. This phenomenon is commonly mocked as "minibuses of death" (Chinese :亡命小巴). In response to public concerns,from 2012,all public minibuses were required to install speed alarms activated at 80 km/h. On all public minibuses,a large digital speedometer must also be installed on the interior ceiling,adjacent to the driver's seat,facing passengers,enabling them to monitor the current speed. [4]
The beginnings of public minibus service can be traced to a local minibus system (Chinese :黑牌車; Cantonese Yale :Hāakpáai chē) used in the New Territories before the 1960s. When,during the 1967 Hong Kong riots,workers of the two main franchised public bus services,China Motor Bus and Kowloon Motor Bus,went on strike bringing buses and trams to a halt, [5] such services stepped in. One of the routes during the 1967 Hong Kong riots was from Jordan Road Ferry Pier to Yuen Long,which can be considered as the first minibus route in the New Territories. [6] After 1967,they were allowed to operate in the urban areas of Hong Kong to ease commuter chaos. [7]
At the time people with mini-vans provided transport to the public for a small charge. The mini-vans were mainly servicing in the New Territories areas such as Yuen Long,Sheung Shui and Fanling,giving a shuttle bus service to the people living in the rural areas. [6] The government turned a blind eye even though it was against traffic laws to carry passengers without a passenger service licence. The 1969 legislation legalising the service making some 5,000 licences available for drivers caused some controversy. Some believed it was wrong of the government to issue licences to people who had been profiting from an illegal activity. [5]
The first generation light buses were vans carrying nine passengers. The buses had a black and white chequered stripe and were colloquially referred to as zebra cars (Chinese :斑馬車; Cantonese Yale :Bāanmáh chē). The chequered stripe is the pattern still used by Lee On NT Taxi Co 利安的士公司on its fleet of taxi. [7] [8] This design later gave way to the red-striped vans (colloquially,"red bus" or "14 seater"). Seating increased over the years from 9 to 14,then to 16 and,finally,to 19. [7] The destination signage at the top front of minibuses did not appear until 1977 and the rear bench seat disappeared altogether with the prevalence of air-conditioning equipment installation. [7]
A passenger wishing to take a minibus simply hails the minibus from the street kerb like a taxi. A minibus can generally be hailed down at any point along a route,subject to traffic regulations,although sometimes particular stops are marked out. To alight from a minibus,a passenger customarily calls out to the driver where they wish to get off,drivers generally acknowledging by simply raising their hand. Tourists have difficulty with this system,as it generally requires both intimate local street knowledge and prior training in Cantonese. Passengers often call out landmarks,intersecting streets and other distinctive features (such as immediately before or after a no-stopping zone). Green minibuses may have fixed stops. Some Green minibuses are now equipped with a bell operated similarly to those found on the larger buses,and ringing it indicates that a passenger wishes to alight at the next stop. Calling out to the driver,however,remains popular.
Green minibuses (GMBs) [1] operate a scheduled service,with fixed routes and fixed fares. There are currently around 280 GMB buses routes with route numbers assigned. The exact fare must be tendered,or payment can be made by Octopus card. On some routes,passengers may pay a portion of the full fare (called section fare) if they are only travelling a section of the route. Sections are usually distinctive physical landmarks,such as crossing a tunnel or a bridge.
Red minibuses (RMBs) [1] are a kind of share taxi,which run a non-scheduled service,although routes may,in effect,become fixed over time. RMBs may operate anywhere where no special prohibitions apply,without control over routes or fares. The PLB system is intended to be flexible and responsive to market demand.
On some routes red minibuses may run throughout the day (24-hour service),such as Tai Po-Mong Kok,Tsuen Wan-Kwun Tong,Kwun Tong-Mong Kok,Yuen Long-Jordan Road,etc. Other routes may only run as midnight services,such as from Yuen Long-Causeway Bay,taking over as higher-capacity services,such as franchised bus operators or mass transit railway underground,close.
In most RMBs,passengers pay just before they alight. Though change for cash payment may be available,a small amount may be deducted by the driver for the inconvenience of handling it. Only a few of these red minibuses are equipped to accept payment by Octopus card. Fares and timetables are not regulated by the Government. Thus,at times,RMBs may be more expensive than GMBs.
Destinations displayed on RMBs are sometimes identified by landmarks long gone,such as Daimaru (Chinese :大丸) in Causeway Bay,the defunct department store. The numbers they display are a legacy of the pre-1973 route-numbering in the New Territories,being the same route numbers used by the large franchised bus operators.
Most early public light buses used mostly British vehicles and carried few passengers as they were vans converted as buses. A few non-British European buses emerged but Japanese minibuses appeared in 1969 and finally dominated the fleet by the 1980s.
Some Green Minibus Unions have called for the Government to provide a new fleet of buses which can hold up to 20 people,1 more person than the current 19 people. They say it could help ease traffic congestion during rush hour and possibly push up profits which may turn away possible fare increases. There are a few of the new buses in service at the moment,but because it is only legal to have 16 passengers in a minibus,the extra area is used as a luggage rack. The Government has responded saying that it would be prudent to first study the implications of such expansion in the context of a Public Transport Strategy Study first,which should take two years ending in 2017 or 2018. [9]
In the film Lost In Time ,Cecilia Cheung playing the role as a red minibus driver,won the "Best Actress" Awards in the 2004 Hong Kong Film Awards.
Hong Kong has a highly developed transport network,encompassing both public and private transport. Based on Hong Kong Government's Travel Characteristics Survey,over 90% of daily journeys are on public transport,the highest rate in the world. However,in 2014 the Transport Advisory Committee,which advises the Government on transportation issues,issued a report on the much-worsened congestion problem in Hong Kong and pointed at the excessive growth of private cars during the past 10–15 years.
Yuen Long District is one of the districts of Hong Kong. Located in the northwest of the New Territories,it had a population of 662,000 in 2021
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is a bus company operating franchised services in Hong Kong. It is the largest bus company in Hong Kong by fleet size and number of bus routes,with over 4000 buses and 420 routes. It is a subsidiary of Transport International.
A share taxi is a mode of transport which falls between a taxicab and a bus. These vehicles for hire are typically smaller than buses and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables,but instead departing when all seats are filled. They may stop anywhere to pick up or drop off their passengers. Often found in developing countries,the vehicles used as share taxis range from four-seat cars to minibuses. They are often owner-operated.
The Light Rail,also known as the Light Rail Transit (LRT),officially the North-West Railway,is a light rail system in Hong Kong,serving the northwestern New Territories,within Tuen Mun District and Yuen Long District. The system operates over 1,435 mmstandard gauge track,using 750 V DC overhead power supply. It was once one of four systems comprising the KCR network in Hong Kong,before the MTR–KCR merger in 2007. It has a daily ridership of about 483,000 people.
A minibus,microbus,minicoach,or commuter is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan,but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom,the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger-carrying van or panel truck. Minibuses have a seating capacity of between 12 and 30 seats. Larger minibuses may be called midibuses. Minibuses are typically front engine step-in vehicles,although low floor minibuses are particularly common in Japan.
Hong Kong taxicabs are the principal taxi service in Hong Kong. Although a few taxis are independently owned and operated,the vast majority are owned by 17 independent taxi companies that rent out taxis on a shift basis to 40,000 self-employed drivers.
A songthaew is a passenger vehicle in Thailand,Laos,Vietnam and Myanmar adapted from a pick-up or a larger truck and used as a share taxi or bus.
Lok Ma Chau is the northwestern terminus in Lok Ma Chau on the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line,a branch line of the East Rail line of Hong Kong's MTR network,which was built to alleviate the immigration checkpoint between Hong Kong and mainland China's Shenzhen at Lo Wu station. The MTR Corporation is promoting the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line as a direct connection with Line 4 of the Shenzhen Metro,which is also operated by the MTR Corporation alongside Line 10.
Marshrutka or marshrutnoe taksi or routed taxicab,are share taxis found in Eastern Europe and the republics of the former Soviet Union. Usually vans,they drive along set routes,depart only when all seats are filled,and may have higher fares than buses. Passengers can board a marshrutka anywhere along its route if there are seats available.
A pesero,combi,micro or microbús is a form of public transport,most commonly seen in Mexico City. Its name derives from the fact that in the beginning of this form of transport a flat fee of one peso was charged per ride.
MTR Bus is a public non-franchised bus service in Hong Kong operated by the MTR Corporation,serving the northwestern part of the New Territories. It comprises a network of 22 feeder bus routes for the convenience of passengers using the MTR rapid transit network,providing access to and between many MTR stations on the Tuen Ma line and Light Rail.
San Tin is a loosely defined area in Yuen Long District in New Territories,Hong Kong that is part of the San Tin constituency. Unlike Hong Kong's highly urbanised areas,San Tin is sparsely populated due to its marshlands.
Yuen Long Town is located in the district centre of Yuen Long District,New Territories,Hong Kong. It is the heart of Yuen Long and Yuen Long New Town,with a population of around 200,000.
Taxicabs within a country often share common properties,but there is a wide variation from country to country in the vehicles used,the circumstances under which they may be hired and the regulatory regime to which these are subject.
The nanny van or school private light bus is a kind of school bus service in Hong Kong. At its peak of popularity during the 1980s,it had become a form of "illegal" public transportation. Subsequently,due to unauthorized use of the vans,the government banned them as a form of public transportation and required all existing nanny vans to register and operate on designated routes.
Bus services in Hong Kong have a long history. As of 2023,four companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public bus services,including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR,and residents' services for residential estates.
In public transport in the United Kingdom and Australia,hail and ride is boarding or alighting a mode of public transport by signalling the driver or conductor that one wishes to board or alight,rather than the more conventional system of using a designated stop. Hail and ride is used primarily in bus transport. The act of requesting a hackney carriage to stop is also termed 'hailing'.
Rehabus is a paratransit service operated by the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation and began service in 1978.
Shenzhen has an extensive transport network,including various forms of land,water and air transport.
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