KMB hops on EV bandwagon with 10 UK additions

Ayra Wang

Kowloon Motor Bus is to introduce a new fleet of 10 electric double-decker buses in the coming months, said Kenny Kan Hok-hei, head of KMB's corporate communications and public affairs department.

The buses, manufactured by Britain's Alexander Dennis, are expected to offer a larger interior space and have five more seats than electric double-deckers from mainland electric vehicle giant BYD, which have a capacity of up to 115 passengers.

Kan said the new buses are currently awaiting final approval from the Transport Department, with plans to put them into operation in the first half.

KMB has already deployed 82 BYD electric buses, including 42 double-decker buses, on more than 30 routes, with Kan expressing satisfaction with their performance and praising "their reliability even on long-distance and uphill routes."

It is also in talks with the government over the use of its depots for commercial vehicle charging. KMB aims to have 500 electric buses in operation by 2027.

On the fare front, KMB has decided to extend interchange discounts for two port routes, B1 and B9, until the end of August.

Originally set to expire this month, the discounts will allow passengers traveling on designated urban routes to enjoy a free fare for the lower-fare journey when interchanging to route B1 in Yuen Long for travel to and from the Lok Ma Chau spur line port, or when interchanging to route B9 for travel to and from the Heung Yuen Wai port.

Kelvin Yeung Chun-wai, deputy operations director of the west division, said "the number of passengers on the two port routes has returned to over 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels."

He also said there is a growing trend of locals heading north and crossing the border via Heung Yuen Wai.

Passenger numbers on routes operated by Long Win Bus between urban areas and airports, as well as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, he said, have even exceeded prepandemic levels during holidays.

Both KMB and Long Win Bus will continue to promote interchange schemes on urban routes that offer fare discounts on the second leg of journeys and will be supported by the addition of more interchange stations and fare saver machines.

Regarding fare adjustments, Kan said KMB may consider applying for fare adjustments this year to take into account fuel and operational costs, and passenger volumes.