Editing Transport in Hong Kong (section)

==Road transport==
===Buses===
[[File:DennistridentturboWG8584,60X.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A [[Low-floor bus|low-floor]] [[double-decker bus]] with wheelchair accessibility]]
{{Main|Bus services in Hong Kong}}
Bus services have [[History of bus transport in Hong Kong|a long history]] in Hong Kong. As of 2023, four companies operate franchised public [[bus]] services, each granted ten-year exclusive operating rights to the set of routes that they operate.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=New Franchises For Two Franchised Bus Companies |date=June 24, 2014 |publisher=Transport Department |url=https://www.td.gov.hk/en/publications_and_press_releases/press_releases/transport_department/index_t_id_2251.html}}</ref> Franchise buses altogether carry about one-third of the total daily public transport market of around 12,000,000 passengers, with [[Kowloon Motor Bus|KMB]] having 67% of the franchised bus market share and [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|CityBus]] with 29%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics |url=http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp140.jsp?productCode=B1010002 |website=Census and Statistics Department}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}} There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by the railway companies, and residents' services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories).

The four franchised bus companies are:
* [[Kowloon Motor Bus|Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited]];
* [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus Limited]];
* [[Long Win Bus|Long Win Bus Company Limited]]; and
* [[New Lantao Bus|New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited]].

Founded in 1933, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is one of the largest privately owned public [[bus]] operators in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sybase Success Story: Kowloon Motor Bus Company|access-date=19 July 2009|date=21 April 2009|url=http://java.sys-con.com/node/929816}}</ref> KMB's fleet consist of about 3,900 buses on 400 routes and a staff of over 12,000 people. In 1979, [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]] began its operations in Hong Kong with one double-decker, providing shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between [[City One]], [[Sha Tin]] and [[Kowloon Tong station|Kowloon Tong MTR station]]. [[New World First Bus]] Services Limited was established in 1998, taking over [[China Motor Bus]]'s franchise to provide bus services on [[Hong Kong Island]] together with Citybus. NWFB's owner company later bought Citybus, and NWFB and Citybus shared the same website, but the two companies had essentially been operating independently until their merger on 1 July 2023.

===Public light buses===
[[File:080003_ToyotacoasterNA220,NT407A.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Green minibus]]
[[File:060001_ToyotacoasterVC3522,CSWtoBelvedereGardenroute.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Red minibus]]
{{Main|Public light bus}}
Public light buses (小巴) (widely referred to as [[minibus]]es, or sometimes ''maxicabs'', a ''de facto'' [[share taxi]]) run the length and breadth of Hong Kong, through areas which the standard bus lines can not or do not reach as frequently, quickly or directly. Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 (19 for some routes since 2017) passengers; standing is not permitted.

The [[Transport Department (Hong Kong)|Hong Kong Transport Department]] (HKTD) allows and licenses the operation of two types of public light buses:
# green minibuses that have route numbers, stop at designated stops (many routes have [[hail and ride]] sections along which passengers can board and exit anywhere unless it is a [[clearway|no-stopping zone]]) and which have their fares, service and frequency regulated by the HKTD; and
# red minibuses that may or may not have regular routes, may or may not be numbered, may or may not have fixed stops and whose fares and service levels are not regulated by HKTD.<ref name="hktdplbp">{{Citation |last=Environment, Transport and Works Bureau |title=Public Light Bus Policy |date=2003 |url=http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_275/plbpolicy.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104192728/http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_275/plbpolicy.doc |access-date=11 December 2006 |archive-date=4 January 2007}}</ref>

Red minibuses often provide more convenient transport for passengers not served by green minibuses or other public buses, and are thus quite popular. Where green minibus drivers are paid fixed wages to drive their routes, red minibus drivers often rely on their fares for a living and thus are often seen to be more aggressive drivers. The prevalence of aggressive driving has resulted in the Transport Department making it mandatory for Hong Kong minibuses to be equipped with large read-out speedometers which allow passengers to track the speed at which minibus drivers operate. Currently, if minibuses exceed 80&nbsp;km/h, the speedometer will sound an audible warning signal to the driver and passengers. If the minibus exceeds 100&nbsp;km/h, the beeping will turn into a sustained tone.

The Transport Department has also regulated, after a series of minibus accidents, that all new minibuses brought into service after August 2005 must have seat belts installed, and passengers must use seat belts when they are provided.

===Taxis===
[[File:HK Toyota Comfort Red Taxi.jpg|thumb|200px|Red taxis serve urban areas]]
{{Main|Taxicabs of Hong Kong}}

{{As of|2016|March}}, there were 18,138 taxis in Hong Kong, operating in three distinct (but slightly overlapping) geographical areas, and distinguished by their colour. Of these, 15,250 are red urban taxis, 2,838 green [[New Territories]] taxis, and 50 blue [[Lantau Island|Lantau]] taxis.<ref>{{Citation| title = Hong Kong: The Facts – Transport|access-date =30 March 2018|date = May 2016|url =http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/transport.pdf}}</ref> Every day, they serve 1,100,000, 207,900, and 1,400 passengers respectively. Taxis carry an average of 1,000,000 passengers each day, occupying about 12% of the daily patronage carried by all modes of public transport in Hong Kong.
{| class="wikitable"
|+List of Hong Kong Taxis
!
!Colour
!District
|-
|Urban taxis
|Red
|Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Kwai Chung
|-
|New Territories taxis
|Dark Green
|Tai Po, Fanling, Sheung Shui, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun
|-
|Lantau taxis
|Light Blue
|Tung Chung, Mui Wo, Tai O, Ngong Ping, Disneyland
|}
Most of the taxis in Hong Kong run on [[autogas|LPG]] (liquified petroleum gas) to reduce emissions. In August 2000, a one-off grant was paid in cash to taxi owners who replaced their diesel taxi with an LPG one. Since August 2001, all newly purchased taxis run on LPG. By the end of 2003, over 99.8% of the taxi fleet in Hong Kong ran on LPG.<ref>{{Cite book
| publisher=Chinese University Press
| isbn = 978-962-996-357-6
| last = Yeung
| first = Yue-man
| title = The First Decade: The Hong Kong SAR in Retrospective and Introspective Perspectives
| year = 2008
| page = 340
}}</ref>

Taxi fares are charged according to the taximeter; however, additional charges on the fare table may apply, such as road tolls and luggage fees. Urban taxis are the most expensive, while Lantau taxis are the cheapest. The standard of service among different kinds of taxis is mostly the same. The reason for having three types of taxis is to ensure service availability in less populated regions, as running in the urban centre is considered to be more profitable.

=== Private cars ===
As of May 2015, the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong reports that there are 504,798 licensed vehicles in Hong Kong.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Census and Statistics Department |url=http://www.statistics.gov.hk/pub/B10100022015MM06B0100.pdf |title=香港統計月刊/Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics |date=June 2015 |pages=219–248 <!-- directly mentioned on p. 231 --> |language=zh, en |chapter=Transport, Communications and Tourism |access-date=October 30, 2022 }}</ref> In terms of private car ownership, the number of cars per capita is half that of [[Singapore]] and one-third that of [[Taiwan]]. However, the Transport Advisory Committee, which advises the government on transport policies, issued a report stating that the growth of private cars is too fast and must be contained so as to alleviate congestion problems of Hong Kong.<ref name="2014 traffic congestion report" /> Private cars are most popular in newly developed areas such as [[New Territories]] and [[Lantau]] and areas near the border with mainland China, as there are fewer public transportation options, and more parking spaces compared to other areas of Hong Kong.

Most cars are [[right-hand drive]] models, from Japanese or European manufacturers. Almost all private vehicles in Hong Kong have dual airbags and are tested by JNCAP. Vehicles must also be maintained to a high standard, contrary to mainland China regulations. Hong Kong does not allow left-hand drive vehicles to be primarily registered in Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong registered vehicles may apply for secondary [[mainland China|mainland Chinese]] registration plates, and these can be driven across the border to mainland China; likewise, left-hand drive cars seen in Hong Kong are usually primarily registered in mainland China and carry supplementary Hong Kong registration plates.

Cars are subjected to a first-time registration tax, which varies from 35% to over 100%, based on the size and value of the car. The level of vehicle taxation was increased by a law passed on 2 June 1982 to discourage private car ownership,<ref>[http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/16_01.03/63037.pdf Legco doubts on car curbs], South China Morning Post, 3 June 1982</ref> and also as an incentive to buy smaller, more efficient cars, as these have less tax levied on them. First-time registration tax was doubled, annual licensing fees were increased by 300%, and $0.70 duty fee was imposed on each litre of light oils.<ref>[[Michael Chugani]], [http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/16_01.01/62742.pdf Legco doubts on car curbs], South China Morning Post, 20 May 1982</ref>

In addition to the heavy traffic at times, parking may be problematic. Due to high [[urban density]], there are not many [[filling station]]s; petrol in Hong Kong averages around US$2.04 per litre, of which over half the cost is taxes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Caltex Singapore – Why do prices rise and fall?|work=Caltex|access-date=20 July 2009|url=http://www.caltex.com/pumpprices/whydoPricesRiseAndFall.asp}}</ref> It was suggested in the news that the government had deliberately impeded the use of new environmentally friendly diesel engines by allowing only light goods vehicles to be fuelled by diesel. While it cannot be determined why exactly the government does not allow private cars to be fuelled by diesel, it has been pointed out that the government does receive a tax that is 150% of the actual fuel cost. This is mostly to discourage car ownership for environmental reasons.<ref>Mottershead, Terri. [2004] (2004). Sustainable Development in Hong Kong. HK University. {{ISBN|962-209-491-0}}</ref>

There is a waiting list for local driving tests, while a full (private car) driving licence valid for ten years costs around US$115. Residents of Hong Kong holding licences issued by other Chinese authorities and some foreign countries can get a Hong Kong driving licence exempt from tests if they can adequately show that they obtained their licence while residing in the place concerned (common proofs are school transcripts or employer's documentation). Some private car owners, known as [[White card (taxi)|white card]] drivers, provide a taxi service for a nominal fee.

===Bicycles===
[[File:Kam Sheung Road Outside View1 201107.jpg|thumb|Bicycle parking at [[Kam Sheung Road station]]]]
{{main|Cycling in Hong Kong}}
Cycling is a popular means of transport in many parts of the [[New Territories]], where new towns such as [[Sha Tin]], [[Tai Po]] and [[Sheung Shui]] have significant [[Cycling in Hong Kong|cycle track networks]]. In the auto congested urban areas of [[Hong Kong Island|Hong Kong]] and [[Kowloon]], cycling is less common, despite the relatively flat topography of populated areas, in part because it is government policy<ref name="test">{{Cite web|url=https://hkcyclingalliance.org/about-us/what-do-we-do|title=What do we do..? &#124; Hong Kong Cycling Alliance 香港單車同盟|website=hkcyclingalliance.org}}</ref> not to support cycling as part of the transportation system. In 2011, the [[MTR Corporation]] announced that bicycles were permitted to be taken on all [[MTR]] rail lines.<ref name="trains">{{Cite web|url=https://hkcyclingalliance.org/getting-around-hk/trains|title=Trains 鐵路 &#124; Hong Kong Cycling Alliance 香港單車同盟|website=hkcyclingalliance.org}}</ref>

===Motorcycles===
Motorcycles by the private users in Hong Kong urban districts are not as popular as in South East Asian countries like [[Vietnam]]. They are mostly used for commercial and business purposes.

===Cross-border buses===
A large number of buses leave various parts of Hong Kong (usually from side streets and hotel entrances) to various cities in the Pearl River Delta, Shenzhen and [[Guangzhou]].

'''Miniature Golf Carts'''

On some of the outlying islands, such as Lamma Island, residents rely on miniature golf carts for transportation. These compact electric vehicles serve as an efficient mode of transport for short distances and are a unique sight on the island's narrow pathways.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bloomberg |date=2018-04-17 |title=Golf carts a must-have for wealthy Hong Kong homeowners |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/golf-carts-a-must-have-for-wealthy-hong-kong-homeowners-1.722427 |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref>