New Lantao Bus
Encyclopedia
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
company operating in 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...
.
History
NLB was formed in 1973 through the merger of three bus companies operated by residents of Lantau IslandLantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
, and became the third franchised bus company on 1 April 1974.
In January 1992 NLB became a subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, a company now partly owned by NWS Holdings Limited, which is also the parent company of Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
, New World First Bus
New World First Bus
New World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong.NWFB was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus...
, and New World First Ferry
New World First Ferry
New World First Ferry Services Limited is a ferry service company in Hong Kong. The company was established in November 1999, when it took over the 8 licensed ferry routes transferred from the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry...
. All four transport operators are thus associated.
NLB's franchise was extended on 1 April 1997 to run until 31 March 2007.
Before the construction of Tung Chung
Tung Chung
Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
New Town, almost all of NLB's routes terminated at Mui Wo
Mui Wo
Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The main beach in Mui Wo is known as Silver Mine Bay .-History:...
. During that time – when there were no major towns on the island – most of the company's routes aimed to connect the smaller villages to the ferry at Mui Wo. Currently, however, most routes terminate at Tung Chung and many of those that formerly terminated at Mui Wo have been discontinued.
Coverage
The major service area of the company is Lantau IslandLantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
, while it is the only bus company in the southern part of the Island. It now operates 11 regular routes, 3 overnight routes, 1 school-day only route, 1 holiday-only route, 1 airport route and 1 special route on Lantau Island, carrying an average of 25,000 passengers daily in 2002.
Most of the routes terminates at Mui Wo
Mui Wo
Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The main beach in Mui Wo is known as Silver Mine Bay .-History:...
and Tung Chung
Tung Chung
Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
, where there are ferries
New World First Ferry
New World First Ferry Services Limited is a ferry service company in Hong Kong. The company was established in November 1999, when it took over the 8 licensed ferry routes transferred from the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry...
and MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
respectively to connect the city. Some routes are short-haul routes within the Tung Chung
Tung Chung
Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
new town. NLB operates a holiday route numbered 1R, running from Hung Hom
Hung Hom
Hung Hom is an area of Kowloon, in Hong Kong, administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of the railway in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes though is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.-Geography:Hung Hom is located...
in Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
to Ngong Ping
Ngong Ping
Ngong Ping is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall. There are many hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists. It is now the terminus of the cable car ride Ngong Ping Cable...
with 8 departures on Sundays and public holidays.
In 2007, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor
The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor is a 5.5-kilometre , dual three-lane carriageway in Hong Kong, connecting Ngau Hom Shek, Hong Kong to an area leased by Hong Kong at Dongjiaotou, which is geographically located in southwestern Shenzhen, a city of mainland China...
opened, providing a 4th road border crossing with mainland China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. NLB won the right to operate a cross-border bus route B2, which runs from Yuen Long MTR station to the border checkpoint at Shenzhen Bay.
Major areas serviced by NLB:
- Mui WoMui WoMui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The main beach in Mui Wo is known as Silver Mine Bay .-History:...
- Tung ChungTung ChungTung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
- Tai OTai OTai O is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong.-Geography:On the main part of Lantau Island, a river splits to the north and west and at this fork lies the island referred to as Tai O. Two pedestrian bridges cross the river...
- Ngong PingNgong PingNgong Ping is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall. There are many hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists. It is now the terminus of the cable car ride Ngong Ping Cable...
(Po Lin MonasteryPo Lin MonasteryPo Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.The monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut" . It was renamed to its present name in 1924...
& Tian Tan BuddhaTian Tan BuddhaTian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue of a Buddha, completed in 1993, and located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. The statue is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion...
) - Chek Lap KokChek Lap KokChek Lap Kok was an island in the western waters of Hong Kong. Together with the smaller Lam Chau, it was leveled and merged via land reclamation into the platform for the current Hong Kong International Airport, which opened for commercial operations in 1998...
(Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
) - Pui OPui OPui O , formerly Lo Pui O , is an area on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is a popular destination for holiday camping in Hong Kong. Visitors may also rent village houses for leisure. Located in the South Lantau, there are four main villages in Pui O, they are Lo Wai , San Wai , Lo Uk , and Ham Tin...
- Cheung Sha
- Tong FukTong FukTong Fuk is a village and an area on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is a popular place for holiday recreation. Tong Fuk Beach in a bay south is a local attraction and visitors rent village houses for leisure.-Geography:...
- Shek PikShek PikShek Pik is an area located along the southwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. When the Shek Pik Reservoir was built, villages at Shek Pik were demolished and the villagers were relocated to other parts of Lantau Island and to Tsuen Wan...
See list of bus routes in Hong Kong for the list of NLB routes.
Fleet
The current fleet comprises 78 single-deck buses. A majority of the single-deck buses operated by New Lantao Bus are JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-built Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
buses with local bodywork.
New Lantao Bus is the only franchise bus operator in Hong Kong operating Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
buses. These buses are tailor-made for the rough road conditions on southern part of Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
. Most of the vehicles are like (tourist) coaches rather than the standard buses one would find in an urban area, except for the newer buses in the Tung Chung
Tung Chung
Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
new town.
All of them are of high floor design, fitted with very powerful engine. Like most buses in Hong Kong, all of them are fitted with air-conditioning system. The air-conditioning system of most buses in Hong Kong is powered by the main engine. But the Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
buses of New Lantao Bus are fitted with a separate engine, solely for powering the air-conditioning system. This allows the main engine to operate on its full power when climbing up steep slopes on southern part of Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
.
Riding on these buses is now more comfortable than 30 years ago, but there are still disadvantages about these buses. Most of the seats are arranged in 3+2 configuration, enabling most of the passengers can find a seat on board. But this also makes the corridor narrow and causing difficulties for passengers to alight the bus, especially in intermediate stops. In addition, their high floor design makes the access of wheelchair impossible. They are absolutely not suitable for operating on city bus routes. However, the road conditions on southern part of Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
are too rough and they seemed to be the only possible solution.
After the development of Tung Chung
Tung Chung
Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
new town in 1998, New Lantao Bus gained operation of an airport bus route A35, connecting Mui Wo
Mui Wo
Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The main beach in Mui Wo is known as Silver Mine Bay .-History:...
in southern part of Lantao Island and the airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
in the northern part. New Lantao Bus ordered three specially built Dennis Dart SLF buses from Dennis
Dennis Specialist Vehicles
Dennis Specialist Vehicles is a major British coachbuilder and manufacturer of specialised commercial vehicles based in Guildford, England...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. These buses were fitted with 215hp engine and 6-speed manual transmission, which are very different from the Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The 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....
s operating in most part of the world. However, their SLF design was proved to be not suitable to operate in southern part of Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
.
In the mean time, New Lantao Bus also started to operate new bus routes solely serving the northern part of Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
. Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
buses, being the main bus model operated by New Lantao Bus at that time, were sent to serve these routes. As the road conditions on the northern part are much better than those on the southern part, the buses can handle these new routes without a single problem mechanically. But their "special" configuration ended up receiving a large number of complaints from the residents, asking New Lantao Bus to send a proper bus on these routes.
New Lantao Bus finally conceded to allocate the Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The 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....
s only on the northern part of Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
and ordered some new Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
buses to serve the airport route A35. For buses to be used to serve the airport, in order to increase the comfort level, these new Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
buses were fitted with luggage racks and the seat configuration was in 2+2, allowing a wider corridor for passenger access. These buses can be seen used on bus route 2 to Ngong Ping and sometimes on route 3M to Tung Chung New Town.
As the number of residents in Tung Chung
Tung Chung
Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma...
keep increasing, New Lantao Bus soon found out that the 3 Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The 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....
s were not capable to handle the demand of the new routes. New Lantao Bus ordered 9 NL263 12-metre single-deck buses from MAN, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Also, it acquired 5 second-hand MAN NL262 12-metre single-deck buses from Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
. Otherwise, a double-deck MAN 24.310
MAN 24.310
MAN 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....
was borrowed from Kwoon Chung, which serving on route 37 and 38 during the rush hour.
From the middle of March 2006 NLB has now scrapped the last of its Isuzu MT112L buses (ILS45-74) and became a fully air conditioned bus company. These buses will follow the previous model Isuzu MT112K buses (ILS6-44) which were scrapped a year and a half earlier.
Starting from 1 July 2007, it offers one route from Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
to Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
through Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor
Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor
The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor is a 5.5-kilometre , dual three-lane carriageway in Hong Kong, connecting Ngau Hom Shek, Hong Kong to an area leased by Hong Kong at Dongjiaotou, which is geographically located in southwestern Shenzhen, a city of mainland China...
. This is the first time for this company that both terminals do not reside in Lantau. The company reallocated all its MAN NL263 buses from route 37, 38 to this cross-boundary route.
Current fleet
- 3 Dennis Dart SLF with Plaxton PointerPlaxton PointerThe Plaxton Pointer is a successful single-decker bus body manufactured during the 1990s by Plaxton and latterly built by Alexander Dennis.With the launch of the Dennis Dart in 1989, Plaxton's subsidiary Reeve Burgess made the Pointer body on the short 8.5 m...
bodies (some of them already retired) - 6 Volvo B6LE with Jit Luen bodies (some of them already retired)
- 9 MAN NL263 12-metre single-deck buses
- 5 MAN NL262 12-metre single-deck buses (second hand)
- 10 MAN NL273 12-metre single-deck buses
- 5 MAN A91 single-deck buses
- 49 MAN A51 single-deck buses
- 9 Young Man JNP6122G single-deck bus
- 1 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....
with Berkhof body - 3 Mitsubishi Fuso RosaMitsubishi Fuso RosaThe Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa is a minibus built by Mitsubishi Fuso.In Japan, Asia-Pacific, Mid-East, Africa, and South America, its principal competitors are the Isuzu Journey, Nissan Civilian, and Toyota Coaster.-Body types:...
minibuses
Retired fleet
- Isuzu JCR460 buses (ILS1-5)
- Isuzu MT112K buses (ILS6-44)
- Isuzu MT112L buses (ILS45-74)
- Isuzu LT132
- Isuzu LT133
- Isuzu LV423
- 15 Leyland Victory Mk2Leyland Victory Mk2Leyland Victory Mk2 is a front-engine double-decker bus chassis that was built by Leyland between 1978 and 1981. Like its competitor Dennis Jubilant, Volvo Ailsa B55, it was specifically designed for contemporary operating environment in Hong Kong.The chassis was developed from the Guy Victory J,...
double-deckers - 5 Mercedes-BenzMercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
coaches - 7 Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa minibuses
- 2 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...
minibuses