Citybus (Hong Kong)
| File:Citybus logo.svg Citybus logo | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport (bus services) |
| Founded | 5 August 1979 |
| Founder | Lyndon Rees |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
Area served | Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories, North Lantau, Shenzhen Bay Port, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port |
Key people | Adam Leishman (CEO of parent company Bravo Transport) |
| Products | Franchised and non-franchised bus services, bus rental, personnel services |
| Owner | Bravo Transport |
| Parent | Bravo Transport |
| Website | www |
Citybus Limited () operates as a bus company based in Hong Kong, offering both franchised and non-franchised transportation services. Its franchised routes encompass Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour connections between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon/New Territories, North Lantau (including areas such as Tung Chung and Hong Kong Disneyland), Hong Kong International Airport, Kowloon, New Territories, Shenzhen Bay Port, as well as the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port. The non-franchised routes mainly cater to City One Sha Tin. Additionally, the company provides bus rental and personnel services to prominent clients like TVB and China Light and Power.
Between 1984 and 2001, Citybus operated cross-border routes to mainland China utilizing double-decker Leyland Olympian buses but discontinued these due to competitive pressures. The company reinstated cross-border service in 2007 with the introduction of route B3 to Shenzhen Bay Port.
Since August 2020, Citybus has been fully owned by Bravo Transport, which also controlled New World First Bus (NWFB), previously the third-largest bus operator. Both companies were formerly subsidiaries of NWS Holdings. On 1 July 2023, NWFB's operations were consolidated into Citybus.
History
Citybus was established on 5 August 1979 by Lyndon Rees, a former traffic manager from China Motor Bus. The company began with a single Volvo B55 double-decker bus running shuttle service for Hong Kong United Dockyard in Hung Hom. In 1981, it introduced a residential route connecting City One Shatin with Kowloon Tong MTR station, pioneering a "breakfast bus" concept. By 1982, United Transport Group had acquired a 49% shareholding.
In 1984, Citybus launched cross-boundary coach services between Hong Kong and Shenzhen using Leyland Olympian buses. Air-conditioned coaches were added in 1985, with further fleet expansion following. During the late 1980s, Tsui Tsin-tong’s CNT Group purchased Citybus and expanded residential routes linking housing estates to MTR stations by adding 100 new Olympians.
December 1990 saw Citybus expand internationally by launching Capital Citybus in London, operating routes across North and East London; this operation was sold to FirstGroup in July 1998 and rebranded as First Capital. In 1991, the Hong Kong Government granted Citybus its inaugural franchised route (12A) on Hong Kong Island.
By September 1993, Citybus secured a tender to take over 26 franchised routes from China Motor Bus under the Network 26 brand, acquiring Leyland Atlanteans from Singapore Bus Service for this purpose. Without tendering, it gained an additional 14 routes in 1995, expanding its fleet to more than 500 buses and substantially increasing its market presence on Hong Kong Island.
Following the opening of Tsing Ma Bridge in 1996 and the development of Tung Chung new town, Citybus obtained 13 new franchised routes serving Tung Chung and Hong Kong International Airport. The airport-focused Cityflyer service commenced in 1998 with several express routes; additional overnight and shuttle airport services were also operated. By the end of 1998, after China Motor Bus’s franchise ended, Citybus took over another 12 routes, growing its fleet to approximately 1,100 buses. Remaining China Motor Bus routes were transferred to New World First Bus.
Citybus ventured into mainland China through a joint venture in Beijing—introducing the city’s first air-conditioned buses—and briefly ran a route in Tianjin before exiting these markets by the mid-2000s.
In July 1999, Scottish Stagecoach Group acquired Citybus; however, cross-boundary coach services to China ceased in 2001. Stagecoach sold Citybus in June 2003 to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, parent company of rival New World First Bus. Following restructuring, Citybus became part of NWS Holdings along with New World First Bus and New World First Ferry.
In August 2020, Bravo Transport—a consortium including private equity firm Templewater Bravo, publicly listed Hans Energy Investment Group, and British operator Ascendal Group—purchased both Citybus and New World First Bus. Adam Leishman of Ascendal Group was appointed CEO of Bravo Transport.
In July 2022, Bravo Transport declared that the New World First Bus brand would be discontinued; its operations were merged into Citybus on 1 July 2023 upon franchise renewal.
Services
As of 2015, Citybus managed a total of 108 routes.
The company currently possesses two franchise agreements:
| Franchise | Designation | Commencement of current franchise | Franchise expiration date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise 1 | Hong Kong Island and Cross Harbour | 1 June 2016 | 30 June 2023 | Initially set to expire on 31 May 2026, revised to coincide with the New World First Bus franchise termination. |
| 1 July 2023 | 30 June 2033 | A newly established 10-year Urban and New Territories franchise replacing the expiring Citybus and NWFB agreements. | ||
| Franchise 2 | Airport and North Lantau | 1 May 2013 | 30 April 2023 | |
| 1 May 2023 | 30 April 2033 | Extended for an additional decade starting from May 2023. |
Numbering system
Citybus employs a route numbering scheme organized by operational zones:
Hong Kong Island
- 1, 10-19: Northern coastal areas or Mid-Levels
- 2, 20-29: Eastern District (from Shau Kei Wan to North Point)
- 3, 30-39: Pok Fu Lam region
- 4, 40-49: Wah Fu Estate and Cyberport
- 6, 60-69: Repulse Bay, Stanley, and Chun Hom Kok
- 7, 70-79: Aberdeen or Wong Chuk Hang areas
- 8, 80-89: Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan
- 90-99: Ap Lei Chau region
- 2xx: Previously premium routes; currently only route 260 remains active
- 5xx: Formerly air-conditioned routes; only routes 511, 592, and 595 are still in service
- 7xx: Express services from Eastern District to Central/Wan Chai
Kowloon / New Territories
The numbering system largely mirrors Kowloon Motor Bus with some adjustments:
- 1-29, 701-729: Kowloon Peninsula routes
- 30-49: Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan (currently no exclusive routes)
- 50-69: Tuen Mun and Yuen Long (mostly Tuen Mun-focused)
- 70-79: Northern District coverage
- 580-589: Sha Tin District (no primary routes numbered in the 80-89 range)
- 790-799: Sai Kung District (no principal routes numbered in the 90-99 range)
- 7xx: Routes formerly operated by New World First Bus now under Citybus after the merger
- 5xx: Routes planned to commence service in April 2024
- 100-199: Cross-harbour routes via Cross-Harbour Tunnel
- 300-399: Peak-hour express cross-harbour services through various tunnels (except route 307)
- 600-699: Cross-harbour routes using Eastern Harbour Crossing
- 900-999: Cross-harbour services via Western Harbour Crossing
Lantau Island/Airport
- A10-A19: Cityflyer lines connecting Hong Kong International Airport with Hong Kong Island
- A20-A29: Cityflyer services linking the airport with Kowloon Peninsula and Tseung Kwan O
- E10-E19: External bus lines passing through Tung Chung and Airport Logistics Area to Hong Kong Island
- E20-E29: External routes via Tung Chung heading toward Kowloon Peninsula or Tseung Kwan O
- S50-S59: Shuttle services between Tung Chung and various points on Chek Lap Kok Island
Letter assignments
- Prefixes:
- A: Cityflyer service routes
- B: Border area bus lines
- E: External North Lantau routes serving Tung Chung and airport logistics zones
- M: Feeder services to Airport Express (MTR) (now discontinued)
- N: Overnight bus services
- R: Special event or Hong Kong Disneyland-related routes (e.g., R8)
- W: Feeder lines to Shenzhen–Hong Kong high-speed train terminus at West Kowloon Station (currently none)
- X: Express bus services
- Suffixes:
- A-F: Independent or branch variations of main routes (e.g., route 2, route 2A)
- H: Hospital-specific services (e.g., route 8H)
- M: Feeder connections to MTR lines
- P: Routes operating during peak hours only
- R: Holiday or event-specific services except for route 5R which operates all day
- S: Special or overnight operations
- X: Express bus designations
Cityflyer
Cityflyer, a subsidiary under Citybus, provides airport shuttle services that commenced with the inauguration of Hong Kong International Airport in 1998. By May 2019, its fleet was composed entirely of 110 Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMCs and 3 additional Enviro500 units, with further Cityflyer vehicles awaiting introduction. These coaches are equipped with specialized features such as luggage compartments monitored by CCTV, window shades, USB charging outlets, and upgraded seating offering increased legroom.
Fleet
As of 2025, the total number of buses in service reaches 1,650 units—comprising 1,612 double-decker and 38 single-decker buses. Most vehicles are procured from European and British manufacturers, notably Alexander Dennis and Volvo Buses. Orders for single-deckers have increasingly favored mainland Chinese producers like Youngman and BYD Auto. Older bus models are generally assigned to non-franchised routes, whereas the latest buses are dedicated to franchised services.
| Number | Lists |
|---|---|
| 1st Generation | |
| V1 | Volvo Ailsa B55 |
| 2nd Generation (1979 - 1987) | |
| D1-D9 | Daimler Fleetline |
| V10 | Volvo Ailsa B55 |
| L11-L24 | Daimler Fleetline / Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 variants |
| D25-D47 | Daimler Fleetline (including converted units) |
| 48-54 | Dennis Dominator series |
| 55-61 | Leyland Olympian/ECW (renumbered) |
| 3rd Generation (1987 - present) | |
| 1-100 | Open-top and earlier non-airconditioned buses |
| 101-238, 300-395, 901-999, 2100-2316, 3001-3360, 3601, 2700, 701-880, 881-894, 1001-1221, 1401-1490, 1501-1580, 2001-2161, 2500-2505 | Leyland Olympian / Dennis Trident / Volvo Olympian / Dennis Dragon series |
| 1301-1357 | Volvo B6LE |
| 1584-1586, 1812-1815 | Yixing SDL6105/SDL6120 and Youngman JNP6105GR models |
| 2051-2094 | Dennis Dart SLF series |
| 2052-2054 | BYD K9R electric buses and Yixing SDL6105/SDL6120 |
| 3800-8567 | Alexander Dennis Enviro400/Enviro500 MMC variants in multiple lengths |
| 4500-5224 | Volvo B9TL/B8L double-decker buses in various configurations |
| 6001-6209 | Neoplan Centroliner and MAN A95 models |
| 6300-6871 | Alexander Dennis Enviro500MMC MK1 & MK2 variants |
| 7000-8401 | Alexander Dennis Enviro400/Enviro500H models |
| 8800-8900 | Volvo B8L and Scania K280UD buses |
| New Numbering System | Bus Type |
|---|
Depots
The operation is divided into two primary departments, each overseeing several depots within their respective coverage zones.
Operation Department One
- Chai Wan (CWD) – located at 38 Sheung On Street
- Wong Chuk Hang (WCD) – adjacent to Aberdeen Police Office
- Ocean Park (OPD) – situated near Ocean Park station
Operation Department Two
- West Kowloon (WKD) – on Hing Wah Street West off West Kowloon Highway
- Siu Ho Wan (SHD) – positioned on Sham Fung Road off North Lantau Expressway
- Tuen Mun (TMD) – at Hoi Wong Road close to Tuen Mun Swimming Pool LR Stop
- Tung Chung (TCD) – opposite Yat Tung Estate