Kowloon Motor Bus Fleet Numbering
Encyclopedia
Kowloon Motor Bus
(KMB) of Hong Kong
maintains a system to code their fleet.
With the introduction of the longer 3-axled buses, KMB added 3 to the numbering and S was further added at the front for 11m buses to emphasize that is a short variant (under 12 metres).
Volvo family
Neoplan / MAN family
Scania family
The code was followed by a number of unspecified digits without initial zeros, to serve as a serial number. Nevertheless, the serial number is just to differentiate individual buses and might not match the actual sequence of either production, arrival or licensing. For example, ATR101 is one of the first Tridents, and not anywhere near the 101st Dennis Trident.
uses codes in the ABB format, both A and
BB being digits. The class is given by A and the serial is given by BB. Since those new Enviro500 buses are Euro4 and Euro5, they were given fleet numbers in the format of ABCC, The class is given by A ( A is being draw up by the original version of that bus type), the standard of engine is given by B and the serial is given by CC.
301 is a unique case in Long Win Bus fleet. It is special because it is the only Dennis Trident 12m with Duple Metsec
bodywork in the fleet. When Dennis Trident 197 was caught fire and damaged in 1999, and investigated the problem was due to the design fault, Dennis decided to deliver another new Trident to KMB as compensation, and thus 301 was given to Long Win Bus.
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
(KMB) of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
maintains a system to code their fleet.
- Note: All the length specified in this section, including in the following leading paragraph, is only nominal. An Olympian 11m is not, and never exactly 11000mm long but some 11300mm.
Classic age
Initially, KMB used a system which usually used the first letter of the bus manufacturer to code their fleet.Second-hand classic age
In the 1970s, the British makers were unable to cope with the vast demand of clients around the British world, so operators like KMB resorted to purchasing second-hand buses and these were numbered with 2 before the alpha code to differentiate them.Age of 3-axle buses
List of the fleet codes of the non-A/C buses in service recently
- S3BL - Leyland OlympianLeyland OlympianThe Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
11m (1986-2011) - S3M - Metro Cammell Weymann MetrobusMCW MetrobusThe MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
11m (1986-2007) - S3N - Dennis DragonDennis DragonThe Dennis Dragon is a 3-axle double decker bus built by Dennis of the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 1990s....
11m (1986-) - S3V - Volvo OlympianVolvo OlympianThe Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo at Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian....
11m (1995-)
Age of air-conditioned buses
Things became more complicated and chaotic when there air-conditioned buses began appearing in the KMB fleet. Since the first production air-conditioned bus for KMB is 11 metres long, it was adopted as the standard length. An A was added in front of that code. For the 12m variety, a 3 was added in front (but the standard one was 3-axle). However, for the shorter ones, though it is marked by an S, it is placed after the manufacturer code. There is also a drift from the purely manufacturer based to make based for the "manufacturer" code for the common manufacturers.List of the fleet codes of the A/C buses (but not SLF)
- AA - Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
(1992-) - AD - Dennis Dominator 6x2 11m air-con (1990-)
- ADS - Dennis Dominator 6x2 9.9m air-con (1993-)
- AF - Dennis FalconDennis FalconThe Dennis Falcon was a rear-engined bus chassis built by Dennis Specialist Vehicles between 1981 and 1993. It was mostly built as a single-deck bus, although some express coaches and a small number of double-deckers were also produced...
11m (1985-2001) - AL - Leyland Olympian air-con (1988-)
- AM - Mitsubishi MK117, MK217, MK218 air-con (1990-)
- AMR - MCW MetroriderMCW MetroriderThe MCW Metrorider, launched by MCW at the 1986 Motor Show, was a midibus designed built by Metro Cammell Weymann between 1986 and 1989. Constructed in two lengths, 7.0 m and 8.4 m, the Metrorider was an integral bus, marking it out from its van-based rivals of the time.It was the second...
air-con (1988-1993) - AN - Dennis LanceDennis LanceThe Dennis Lance is a single-decker bus built by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low-floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF, was built between 1993 and 1996...
air-con (1993-2010) - AS - Scania N113Scania N113The Scania N113 was a transverse-engined bus chassis built by Scania AB of Sweden between 1988 and 2000.Like its predecessor, the N112, the N113 had an 11-litre engine mounted at the rear, coupled to either a Scania or Voith gearbox...
air-con (1993-) - AT - Toyota CoasterToyota CoasterThe Toyota Coaster is a minibus produced by Toyota Motor Corporation. It was introduced in 1969, with the second generation introduced in 1982, followed by the third generation in 1993...
24-seater (1987-1997) - AV - Volvo Olympian 11m air-con (1994-)
- 3AD - Dennis Dominator 6x2 12m air-con (1997-)
- 3AV - Volvo Olympian 12m air-con (1994-)
Age of Super Low Floor buses
From the advent of the first Super Low Floor double decker in Hong Kong, the Dennis Trident, the rules are even more ambiguous. It is commonly perceived that there is no real rule for the fleet code for new buses, excepted for the initial A since KMB has been buying only air-conditioned buses since 1995.List of the fleet codes of the SLF buses in service recently
Dennis / TransBus / Alexander Dennis family- AA - Dennis Dart SLF (1996-)
- ATS - Dennis TridentDennis Trident 3Dennis Trident 3 is the first low floor double-decker bus chassis built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, with a large number purchased by bus companies in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States and Canada.-Design:...
10.6m (1999-) - ATR - Dennis Trident 12m (1997-)
- ATE - TransBus/Alexander Dennis Enviro500 12m (2003-)
- ATEU - Alexander Dennis Enviro500 12m (Euro IV) (2006-)
- ATSE - Alexander Dennis Enviro400 (2010-)
- AAU - Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart (2011-)
Volvo family
- ASV - Volvo Super Olympian 10.6m (2001-)
- 3ASV - Volvo Super Olympian 12m (1999-)
- AVW - Volvo Super Olympian 12m (Wright-bodied) (2003-)
- AVD - Volvo B9TLVolvo B9TLThe Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
(Demonstrator) (2004, 2006-) - AVBE - Volvo B9TL with Enviro500 body (2005-)
- AVBW - Volvo B9TL with Wright body (2005-)
- AVBWU - Volvo B9TL with Wright body (Euro V) (2010-)
- AVBWS - Volvo B9TL with Wright body (10.6m 2-axle) (2010-)
- AVC - Volvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
(2010-)
Neoplan / MAN family
- AP - Neoplan CentrolinerNeoplan CentrolinerThe NEOPLAN Centroliner is a series of low floor bus which was first unveiled in 1997, and mainly built by NEOPLAN Bus GmbH for the European market...
(1999-) - APM - Neoplan Centroliner (MAN A34 chassis, i.e. LE4612) (2003-)
- AMN - MAN 24.310MAN 24.310MAN 24.310 is a low-floor double-decker bus model built for the Hong Kong market. Unlike other low-floor double-decker buses in Hong Kong, there are steps in the lower deck aisle after the rear exit....
(2000-)
- ASU - Scania K310UDScania K-seriesScania K-series is a series of bus with longitudinally, straight-up mounted Euro IV engine at the rear. For the 5- and 6-cylinder engines Scania is using exhaust gas recirculation system to fulfill the legal Euro IV emission standard...
(2007-) - ASB - Scania K230UBScania K-seriesScania K-series is a series of bus with longitudinally, straight-up mounted Euro IV engine at the rear. For the 5- and 6-cylinder engines Scania is using exhaust gas recirculation system to fulfill the legal Euro IV emission standard...
(10.6m) (2009-) - ASC - Scania K230UB (12m) (2009-)
- ASCU - Scania K230UB (12m, Euro V, i.e. PB6682) (2010-)
The code was followed by a number of unspecified digits without initial zeros, to serve as a serial number. Nevertheless, the serial number is just to differentiate individual buses and might not match the actual sequence of either production, arrival or licensing. For example, ATR101 is one of the first Tridents, and not anywhere near the 101st Dennis Trident.
Long Win Bus
Long Win BusLong Win Bus
Long Win Bus Company Limited provides bus service to northern Lantau Island and the Hong Kong International Airport...
uses codes in the ABB format, both A and
BB being digits. The class is given by A and the serial is given by BB. Since those new Enviro500 buses are Euro4 and Euro5, they were given fleet numbers in the format of ABCC, The class is given by A ( A is being draw up by the original version of that bus type), the standard of engine is given by B and the serial is given by CC.
- 1xx / 2xx - Dennis TridentDennis Trident 3Dennis Trident 3 is the first low floor double-decker bus chassis built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, with a large number purchased by bus companies in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States and Canada.-Design:...
(with Alexander ALX500 bodywork) - 301 - Dennis Trident (deluxe version with Duple MetSec DM5000 bodywork)
- 401 - Volvo B9TLVolvo B9TLThe Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
(deluxe version with Alexander Dennis Enviro500 bodywork) - 5xx - Dennis Trident (deluxe version for Axx routes with Alexander ALX500 bodywork)
- 601 - Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (deluxe version with Alexander Dennis bodywork)
- 7xx - Volvo B9TL (with Alexander Dennis Enviro500 bodywork)
- 8xx - Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (with Alexender Dennis bodywork)
- 9xx - Dennis LanceDennis LanceThe Dennis Lance is a single-decker bus built by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low-floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF, was built between 1993 and 1996...
- 64xx - Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (deluxe Euro 4 version)
- 84xx - Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (Euro 4 version)
- 85xx - Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (Euro 5 version)
301 is a unique case in Long Win Bus fleet. It is special because it is the only Dennis Trident 12m with Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec
Duple Metsec is a former bus bodywork builder based in West Midlands of the United Kingdom, which usually supplied body kits for assembly overseas....
bodywork in the fleet. When Dennis Trident 197 was caught fire and damaged in 1999, and investigated the problem was due to the design fault, Dennis decided to deliver another new Trident to KMB as compensation, and thus 301 was given to Long Win Bus.