Public Transport

Hong Kong has a diverse multi-modal public transport system, comprising a Mass Transit Railway, a tramway, franchised buses, public light buses, taxis, non-franchised buses, a funicular cable tramway and ferry services, extending to almost every part of the territory. Rehabus services are also available for persons with mobility difficulties.

Public transport patronage increased by about 1.5% in 2012 when compared with 2011 to 12.1 million passengers per day. There was an increase of railway patronage by 3.9% over last year. The railway system, which carried 4.9 million passengers per day in 2012, is the largest passenger carrying mode. Coming next were the franchised buses, which carried 3.8 million passengers per day in 2012, representing an increase of about 1.2% against 2011.

Railways, being the most environmentally friendly form of mass transport, will continue to expand in network. It will form the backbone of Hong Kong's transport system with other modes playing a supplementary but still important role to ensure a choice of services by commuters. There were continuing improvements in the quality of franchised buses. By end 2012, all franchised buses were air-conditioned and about 85% were Euro II or above buses with less emission. To ensure more efficient use of bus resources and to provide passengers with more choices of routes, bus-bus interchange schemes were promoted. In 2012, a total of 6 bus-bus interchange schemes were introduced, increasing the total number of schemes to 251schemes.

The market share of ferry remained at 1.1% in 2012 with an average of 135,000 passengers daily. As at end 2012, there were altogether 13 franchised and licensed ferry operators running 21 regular passenger ferry services, 2 dangerous goods vehicular ferry services and 2 special services at the harbour and to the new towns and outlying islands.