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 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 1.4% in 2014 when compared with 2013 to 12.52 million passengers per day. There was an increase of railway patronage by 3.9% over last year. The railway system, which carried 5.26 million passengers per day in 2014, is the largest passenger carrying mode. Coming next were the franchised buses, which carried 3.91 million passengers per day in 2014, representing an increase of about 0.2% against 2013.
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 2014, all franchised buses were air-conditioned and about 97% 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 2014, a total of 29 bus-bus interchange schemes were introduced, increasing the total number of schemes to 334 schemes.
The market share of ferry remained at 1.1% in 2014 with an average of 135,400 passengers daily. As at end 2014, there were altogether 13 franchised and licensed ferry operators running 20 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.