Kowloon Motor Bus, Hong Kong’s largest franchised bus operator, is demanding new road rules to give buses priority, and blaming excessive private car use for congestion that has prolonged its journey times by up to 30 percent.
According to the bus operator, traffic jams and big construction projects on the road all over the city has affected almost all of its routes.
To remedy this, the company has sought for more bus lanes and rules that require private vehicles to give way at bus stops. Congestion on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui alone affects up to 800,000 commuters a day.
However, some critics have pointed out that bus operators, which face stiff competition from mass transit systems, are using private cars as a scapegoat to operate more efficiently and make profits. 70 percent of KMB’s 400 routes is currently making a loss.
Source: SCMP
Photo: Shankar s, Flickr
