In Hong Kong, public bus, public light bus (also known as green minibus) and residential bus routes bear their own route numbers.
Public buses The numbering systems of public buses can be classified into Hong Kong Island routes, Kowloon and New Territories routes, Lantau Island (New Lantao Bus) routes, MTR Bus routes, cross-Harbour routes and Airport and North Lantau external bus routes. Their route numbering systems are independent except cross harbour routes. For example, there are both route 1, and route 2 on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Lantau Island respectively.
Route 200-299 (Kowloon and New Territories) and 500-599 (Hong Kong Island) were previously deluxe bus services, and it became mandatory to be air-conditioned in 1990s except for emergency situation (e.g. opening of Tsing Ma Bridge, air-con bus breakdown, fleet shortages) during Kowloon Motor Bus and China Motor Bus time. The new operators in Hong Kong Island requires replacement of all non-aircon buses. Since the withdrawal of the last non-aircon bus in 2008 (Citybus/New World First Bus; which is route 15C) and 2012 (Kowloon Motor Bus), all bus routes in Hong Kong are required to have an inbuilt air-conditioning system and retains their numbering system in place. Also, on 11 February 2014, Citybus had withdrew the last non-aircon open-top bus from service.
At one time, there were two "N11" bus routes in Tung Chung, namely, Airport overnight route N11 and Lantau Island overnight route N11. The latter is no longer in service.
Public light buses The numbering systems of public light bus (green minibuses) are classified into Hong Kong Island public light bus routes, Kowloon public light bus routes and New Territories public light bus routes. There is one public light bus route operating in Airport/Lantau Island (901). Their route numbering systems are independent too. However, for cross harbour public light bus routes, the route numbers from Hong Kong Island or New Territories are used instead.
Residential buses Residential bus routes are the routes which are requested to operate by the residents or estates community. In the past, the route numbers are with a suffix "R". The first residential bus route was route 88R from City One Shatin to Kowloon Tong station (it was then renumbered 62R). From c. 2003, the route numbers have been changed to prefixes "HR", "KR", and "NR". They stand for Hong Kong Island residential bus routes, Kowloon residential bus routes and New Territories residential bus routes respectively. There is no residential bus services on Lantau Island (except Discovery Bay) and the Airport. Cross-harbour bus routes uses KR and NR services.
Route numbering system for public buses +RouteClassificationRoutesOperators2-digit Numbering in Hong Kong and "5xx" (Fully air-con bus routes before 1999)Citybusx1-x29Original Hong Kong Islandx30-x39Southern District (Pok Fu Lam)x40-x49Southern District (Kellett Bay)x50-x59Western District (Mount Davis)x60-x69Southern District (Repulse Bay, Stanley)x70-x79Southern District (Aberdeen, Wong Chuk Hang)x80-x89Eastern District (Chai Wan, Siu Sai Wan)x90-x99Southern District (Ap Lei Chau)2-digit Numbering in Kowloon/New Territories and "2xx" (Fully air-con bus routes before 2008)Kowloon Motor Busx1-x29Kowloonx30-x39Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wanx40-x49x50-x59Tuen Mun, Yuen Longx60-x69x70-x79North District, Sheung Shuix80-x89Sha Tinx90-x99Sai Kung2-digit Numbering in Lantau IslandNew Lantao Bus1-910-19Fully Air-Conditioned Bus Routes20-29Ngong Ping30-39Tung Chung3-digit Numbering1xxCross-Harbour Tunnel routesCitybus, Kowloon Motor Bus260Recreational route in Hong Kong Island.Citybus3xxPeak-hour only cross-harbour routes (except for 307) and recreational routes in Hong Kong.Citybus, Kowloon Motor Bus38xRecreational routes in Hong Kong IslandCitybus4xxUnused.58xRoutes operated by Citybus in Kowloon/New Territories.Citybus6xxEastern Harbour Crossing routesCitybus, Kowloon Motor Bus70xCitybus routes in West KowloonCitybus72xIsland Eastern Corridor routesCitybus78xIsland Eastern Corridor routesCitybus79xCitybus routes in Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan OCitybus8xxSha Tin Racecourse routesKowloon Motor Bus9xxWestern Harbour Crossing routesCitybus, Kowloon Motor BusNorth Lantau Bus Routes (Using A, E, N, NA, R, S and X)0xCitybus and Long Win Bus jointly operate short-distance/shuttle routes1xto Hong Kong IslandCitybus2xto Kowloon/Tseung Kwan OCitybus3xto New Territories WestLong Win Bus4xto New Territories EastLong Win Bus5xShuttle ServiceCitybus6xShuttle ServiceLong Win BusPrefixesAAirport deluxe bus routes BBorder routesLok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point routesB1Shenzhen Bay Control Point routesB2, B2P, B2X, B3, B3A, B3M, B3XHong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge routesPrefix A, Prefix NA, B4, B5, B6, N35Heung Yuen Wai Control Point routes79K, B7, B8, B9DBDiscovery Bay Bus ServiceENorth Lantau external bus routesHCitybus Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus routesCitybusHKKowloon Bus Company Sightseeing Bus routesKowloon Motor BusKMTR Bus (formerly KCR Feeder Bus) routesMSome bus routes that are terminated at an MTR stationNOvernight bus routesNAOvernight Airport deluxe bus routesPPremium bus routesKowloon Motor BusRRecreational bus routes (for Hong Kong Disneyland / Marathon)SAirport shuttle bus routesTSpecial express routes for relieving rail servicesT74, T270, T277 (except T80)WRoutes that terminates at West Kowloon Highspeed link station: W2, W3XExpress routes for special servicesX6CYBus routes which operate during the first stage of the high wind management measures in the Tsing Ma BridgeY31, Y41Kowloon Motor BusSuffixesA, B, C, D, E, FConventional routesHHospital routesKRoutes that connect to the Tuen Ma Line or East Rail Line.MRoutes that connect to MTR Urban Lines.PPeak hour-only routes (except KMB 8P, 40P, 276P, Citybus 8P, 796P, Long Win Bus A41P and New Lantau Bus B2P, which are whole-day services)RRecreational bus routesSPeak-hour only routes or special servicesXExpress servicesRail Bridging Services500 - 599Light Rail600 - 699Light RailAEAirport ExpressDTuen Ma LineEEast Rail LineHIsland Line, previously those from Hong Kong StationKKwun Tong Line, previously those from Kowloon StationEast Rail LineMTuen Ma Line (Ma On Shan)PTuen Ma Line (Tsuen Wan and Kowloon)SSouth Island LineTTsuen Wan LineTETung Chung Line and Disneyland Resort LineTKLTseung Kwan O LineWTuen Ma Line
See also Transport in Hong Kong List of bus routes in Hong Kong
References
External links www.16seats.net