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Hong Kong Island 2003
Bus operations on Hong Kong island are dominated by the two main companies of NEW WORLD FIRST BUS and CITYBUS (NWFB & CTB). Towards the end of 2003 both operators were brought together under a common management structure, but both operate in separate liveries and fleet numbering schemes, at least for the present. This film charts the operations of both fleets in many of their busy operating areas, and was filmed during November 2003, before and during some of the more visible changes.
We open in Wan Chai bus station, used by both operators and then move into the main street where NWFB and CTB vehicles run in tandem. The mainstay of the CTB fleet are Alexander bodied Olympians and newer Dennis Tridents with both Alexander and Metsec bodies. NWFB again have similar Tridents, Olympians and Dennis Condors, the older vehicles inherited from CHINA MOTOR BUS (CMB) in 1998. Our next stop is the new bus station at the Island Resort Mall in Siu Sai Wan, were we see Super Olympians and Centroliners of NWFB with some KMB vehicles for good measure. The streets and bus station of Chai Wan is next were we see the 1200 series of ALX500 Tridents of NWFB which were transferred to CTB soon after they were filmed.
Shau Kei Wan bus station
is visited with a good cross section of vehicles including some Enviro
500s’ from KMB.
We take the tram to Causeway
Bay to see a procession of NWFB and CTB vehicles in normal service.
Also caught on camera is a festival using many of the Hong Kong open toppers
- including a Dennis Dominator, former National Express Olympian, a NWFB
‘DM’ and a Routemaster!
A visit is made to the CTB depot at Fo Tan where we see 105 - now preserved in the U.K., NWFB ‘DC’ class transferring to CTB and some of the CTB Olympians now in the U.K. with Megabus.
A visit to Ocean Park parking area completes the picture. Central bus station is our next venue before a ride on a CTB Dennis Dragon to Stanley to observe operations there. From here we travel to the busy bus station at North Point. CMB CX5, a Dennis Dart is seen in special contract service. Central is always a busy place and our cameras record the action both day and night time here. Finally we visit Aberdeen, another busy exchange and take a sneak view at the gems parked on top of the former CMB bus depot!
To finish our visit we see some cine footage from 1984 of Citybus vehicles. This video programme is essential if you are a fan of the Hong Kong bus.
| Filmed : | 2003 |
| Duration : | 120 minutes (approx). |
| Price : | Within UK - £16 |
| Rest of world - £18 | |
| Format : | DVD -R |
| Order Ref : | D047 |
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