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Author(s)
Application of the hub concept to urban public transport in

Hong Kong: a case study of North Point
Tan, Tony.; .
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URL
Rights
2006
http://hdl.handle.net/10722/52872
The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent

rights) and the right to use in future works.
Abstract of thesis entitled
Application of the Hub Concept to Urban Public Transport

in Hong Kong: A Case Study of North Point
submitted by
TAN Tony
for the degree of Master of Arts in Transport Policy & Planning

at the University of Hong Kong
in June, 2006
Just building new roads and infrastructures may not be a sustainable option for
meeting the ever growing transport demand. Land and space required for constructing
new transportation systems are limited whereas demand for transport is unending. A
new era is born in the field of transportation planning and design, favoring a flexible
approach of land-use planning and transportation management. Besides meeting
transport demand, containing the usual transport related problems such as air pollution,
noise and traffic congestion are other vital and implied mandates of modern
transportation system. Moreover, the overall continuing dispersed physical
configuration of a city brought about by redevelopments and scattered human
settlements is an impediment to the design of transportation network. These problems
lead to an application of innovative concepts like the hub & spoke system and a
trunk feeder concept.
This research attempts to appraise the application of the concept of hub

transport to designing a public transportation system which shall be effective in
tackling the problems cited above. An attempt has been made in this research to apply
the concept in a case study, taking North Point, a destination Hong Kong, as a hub
location. A survey was conducted to consider the perceptions and views of local
commuters. The findings indicate that North Point is a befitting hub center and the
present transport problems can be minimized by implementing a mixed pattern of
transportation based on the hub concept. Judicious rationalizing of bus routes along
with refurbishments of transport facilities like information display, directional signs
and interchange information can go a long way to enhancing the livability and
ambiance of North Point and also relieving transport problems, especially congestion.
The recommendations advocate a substantial feeder role along with few strategically
identified express routes for buses with railways (MTR), recognized to play the role
of transport backbone.
Application of the Hub Concept to

Urban Public Transport
in Hong Kong:
A Case Study of North Point
by
TAN Tony
M.Sc, CMILT, MHKLA, MCIM, MIEx
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Transport Policy &
Planning at The University of Hong Kong
Supervisor: Professor H.C. Pang
June 2006
Acknowledgement
I am truly grateful for the support, inspiration and encouragement I have

received from so many wonderful people in my educational pursuit.
My greatest appreciation and respect are extended to Professor H.C. Pang, my

supervisor, who through his positive influence and encouragement, has assisted me in
every aspect of this study. His strong interest in learning theory has allowed me to
pursue an avenue in the field of horticulture that is rarely taken. His encouragement
has given gave me the strength to persevere, and his ability to see the big picture
has helped me stay focused.
I also extend my sincerest appreciation to the members of my study group,

Ken Wong, David Li and Andy Wong. Their expertise and positive attitude have
pulled me through the most daunting aspects of the research process.
I truly
appreciate all the time they have spent with me.
Finally, but most importantly, I wish to thank my wonderful family who have
supported me throughout this undertaking. Their belief in my abilities and their love
and support are the foundation that I have relied upon. I thank my daughter Teresa for
sharing the computer with me without complaining and also for patiently playing with
her little brother Timothy so that I could get my work done. To my wonderful wife,
Annie, I can never thank her enough for the encouragement and support she has given
me through this entire enterprise. She has never once given up on me and is always
there to keep our family going, her fantastic skills as my time manager and format
specialist have kept me focused and pointed in the right direction. I thank her for her
patience and love. As my children look to the future, I hope that this example of my
achievement will help them recognize the value of education, the rewards of
persistence, and the accomplishment of hard work.
In closing, I thank God. For only through Gods grace and His blessings has
this endeavor been possible.
Declaration
I declare that this dissertation represents my own work, except where due
acknowledgment is made, and that it has not been previously included in a thesis,
dissertation or report submitted to this University or to any other institution for a
degree, diploma or other qualifications.
Signed: _______________________
TAN Tony
Table of Contents
Chapter I
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Introduction
Background
Objectives of Study
Scope of Study
Structure of Dissertation
Chapter II
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
Approach to Study
General Approach
Literature Review
Review of Public Transport in Hong Kong
Propositions and Hypotheses
Surveys and Interviews
Chapter III
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
Literature Review
Scope of Review
Hub Concept Treatment
Characteristics of Hub
Examples of Successful Application
Identification of Success Factors
Chapter IV
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4

Scope of Review
Public Transport System in Hong Kong
Characteristics of Public Transport in Hong Kong
Public Transport Appraisal for North Point
Chapter V
5.1
5.2
5.3

Settings of Propositions and Hypotheses
Propositions
Hypotheses
Chapter VI
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
Research Methodology
General Approach
Methodology Framework
Surveys
Data Collection Procedure and Analysis
Interpretation and Application of Results and Findings
Chapter VII Findings of Interviews

7.1
Conduct of Interview
7.2
Findings of Interview
7.3
Results of Interview
7.4
Observation of Interview
Chapter VIII Interpretation and Application of Findings to North Point

8.1
Performance of Transport Hub Role by North Point
8.2
Identification of Inadequacies in Performance by North
Point
8.3
Suggestion for Improvement to Performance
8.4
8.5
8.6
Chapter IX
9.1
9.1
9.2
Discussion on Implementability of Improvements

Perceived Benefit of Implementation
Possible Future Development for Other Districts
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
Summary
Conclusions
Recommendations
References
List of tables
List of figures
Annexures
Annexure-I Survey Questionnaire
Annexure-II Bus Routes Rationalization Scheme for North Point
Chapter I
Introduction
1.1
Background
Hong Kong, situated at the south-eastern tip of China, has
been transformed from an island of barren rocks to the pearl of

the east. It is the business hub of East Asia and following its
integration with the Republic of China as a Special Administrative
Region (SAR) in 1997, it is fast emerging as the World City
(HKPSG, 2001). Hong Kong is the world's 11th largest trading
economy, the world's 6th largest foreign exchange market, the
world's 12th largest banking centre and Asia's 2nd biggest stock
market (http://www.info.gov.hk/info). Hong Kong has a population
of over 6.8 million with a density of 6,300 people per square
kilometre. With over 530,000 registered vehicles in a road network
of 1,943 kilometres, Hong Kongs roads have one of the highest
vehicle densities in the world (HK-2030, 2000). This economic
potential has encouraged huge influx of population, compelling the
city to embark onto a ceaseless process of development and
redevelopment of infrastructures, settlements and other amenities.
The increasing requirements for human settlements and mobility
needs have necessitated opening up of new residential communities
and scattered business destinations and fronts along with expansion
in transport infrastructures and road-links. This inturn has called for
sustainable development initiatives and design of integrated urban
transport system. Hong Kong authorities have been quite proactive.

Strategic urban planning initiatives started as early as 1970s with
the formulation of the Hong Kong Outline Plan followed by
Territorial Development Strategy (TDS) in 1984 and further
revisions of the same at appropriate intervals, accounting for the
changing needs. In recent years the authorities initiated a series of
developmental works in the eastern areas of Hong Kong adjacent to
the confluence of the Pearl Delta Region (PDR) and North Point (HK
Facts, 2003). Special attention has been given towards planning and
development of efficient transportation systems in this region with
the objective of deriving trade benefits, adjacent to the flourishing
mainland China and the booming industry in PDR. North Point is one
of the old districts, which in this development phase has seen lowrise buildings redeveloped into high-rise ones, increasing the
population density in the area on the one hand and heavy demands
for public transport, increasing congestion problems on the other.
Moreover, this area has mixed transport modes, including public
buses, trams, minibuses and private cars as well as MTR. Other
than MTR, they compete with each other for road space, ultimately
increasing congestion and causing delays (CSD, 2000). A way for
solving this traffic problem and increasing travel efficiency is
probably the application of the concept of hub & spoke transport
system that requires rearranging and re-planning of the transport
modes and links. This dissertation attempts to put forward a

feasible hub & spoke plan for public road transport network with
specific reference to North Point.
1.2
Objectives of Study
This is a dissertation with the principal objectives of examining and
assessing the feasibility of the application of the "Hub Concept" for optimizing and
enhancing the efficiency of the public transportation network in a rapidly growing
urban area. North Point has been selected here for a case study to explore and
identify the possibilities and benefits, if any, for reorganizing and reconfiguring
the public transport services. The underlying objective of the study aims at an
optimization and capacity utilization of the existing road-transport infrastructures
and modes of public transport to eliminate unfair and wasteful competition
amongst different modes but to encourage competition in performance and
quality services.
1.3
Scope of Study
Hong Kong as a whole is developing into a global business
centre and practically it is mastering all-round development

covering all fronts, domestic, regional as well as international. The
developments
in
transportation
and
transit
plans
include
modernization of air, water and road/rail transport facilities.

However the scope of this study has been kept specific and limited
to road and rail transport facilities only. The main focus here is
North Point and the adjoining approaches to the Pearl Delta Region
where efficient public transport system is a priority.
1.4
Structure of Dissertation
This dissertation puts forward a realistic public transportation
strategy with specific reference to North Point and details will be

highlighted in the following nine chapters while this Chapter gives
the introduction and background along with the objectives of the
study. The study approaches and surveys and interviews of
commuters will be included in Chapter II followed by a detailed
literature review, characteristics and examples of application of the
hub concept in Chapter III.
Chapters IV, V & VI present the
existing transport system in Hong Kong along with an appraisal for

North Point, propositions and research methodology framework
respectively. The results of the surveys and interviews and the
interpretations and possible applications of findings of the study will
be covered in Chapters VII and VIII. Finally Chapter IX will present
my conclusions and recommendations. References and lists of
figures and tables will be annexed to this dissertation.
Chapter II
Approach to Study
2.1
General Approach
Modern planners and city authorities have now realized the
fact that urban space is a limited and non-renewable resource

(Sustainable Mobility, UITP, 2003). This realization is the motivation
for adoption of a sustainable and integrated approach of study in
this
dissertation.
Meeting
increasing
transport
demands
by
increasing supply of vehicles and transport facilities is just no more

a prudent option, considering the limitations in space, time and
finances (RSS 1.92/2005). This study follows a characteristically
sustainable transport planning approach as depicted in Figure-2.1.
Tasks & General
Study Approach
Literature Review &
Analysis &
Surveys & Field
Desk Works
Assessment Works
Works
Hub Concept
Propositions &
Identification of
Treatment
Hypotheses
Survey Points
Success Factors
Case Study
& Costs
Application
Survey Formats &

Literature Reviews
Data Analysis &
Findings &
Conclusions
Results
Figure-2.1: Study Approach and Tasks
This dissertation proceeds with the target to evolve and

assess an efficient, multi-modal and sustainable public transport
network for a rapidly growing urban city like Hong Kong. It is not
intended to fill in the gaps for increasing transport demands just by
increasing the number of transport utilities, but rather the stress
here is to reorganize and integrate the pattern of services and use
of the existing transport facilities. Unlike the traditional strategy of
quantitative augmentation of transport infrastructures, here it is
more of a qualitative strategy, adding value by purposefully aligning
and reorganizing different existing transport modes according to the
orientation and sitting of the business centres, settlements and
commuters preferences and aspirations (Cervero Robert, UCB/ITS2005). This paradigm shift towards accessibility based approach in
general has been found to save costs, reduce congestion, increase
transport efficiency and above all help in conceiving user-friendly
transport networks (UCB/ITS, 2003).
This study has three main activity domains or components
(Figure-2.1) viz., literature review and research, field tasks and
surveys and feasibility analysis and assessment. A wide variety of
international
literature
and
real
life
project
documentation
pertaining to the field of public transportation has been scanned
through for gathering relevant information and knowledge on issues

like
emerging
trends
and
technologies,
transport
planning,
designing and networking ideas, costs, barriers and success

indicators. The field work involves identification of routes and
locations, physical assessment of intersections and traffic conditions
at peak hours and most importantly, conducting commuters
surveys and road-side interviews for collecting and incorporating
views, preferences and aspirations of the general public who are the
real users of the transport network. The next step is analysis and
assessment followed by propositions and hypotheses.
Finally, a
case study has been taken up for application of the concepts. The
area selected for the case study is North Point of Hong Kong. This
dissertation concludes with the recommendations identified in
course of the study.
2.2
Literature Review
Land-use planning, transportation policy and planning and
urban development are necessarily intermingled with one another.

They all have a long history of evolution (L. Steven, et al,
UTCA/2003). The traditional concepts of urban transport and landuse planning have progressed in scope and technique, countering
severe challenges along the years. A substantial body of literature is
available, testifying and show-casing the application of a range of
approaches and policy options for integrated transport planning. As
mentioned earlier, the literature review is aimed at identifying the

innovative concepts, characteristics, technology trends and success
or failure indicators, specifically pertaining to integrated and multimodal transportation systems. This review has covered different
cities of the world with specific reference to Hong Kong and the
selected case study area, North Point. Information has been sourced
from international study reports, journals, books and government
documents. Internet websites have been browsed for getting up-todate developments and information. To accomplish the case study,
information, data and development trends have been collected,
relevant to Hong Kong and representative of North Point. Various
policy documents published by the Government of Hong Kong like
the Planning Standards Sub-Committee (PSSC) report, public
consultation papers and Territorial Development Strategy (TDS)
documents form the main sources of information for the case study.
The literature review as a whole is aimed at providing inputs and
ideas for conceiving a hub transportation plan, identifying barriers
and success factors.
Detailed literature reviews on the above along with evidences
of successful implementation of the concept of hub and spokes in
transportation planning elsewhere will be taken up in Chapter III
of this dissertation.
2.3
A comprehensive review of the public transport system in

Hong Kong with specific reference to North Point has been
conducted following similar approach as outlined in previous section
(Section 2.2). This review will present transport scenarios for both
erstwhile and existing periods and will also highlight the future
visions and directions as planned by the authorities. Knowledge of
the existing patterns and modes of transport along with the
commuters preferences is a very important component of the study
which
helps
in
conceiving
coherent
and
sustainable
city
development plan (HK 2030). All available modes of public transport

including MTR, KCRC, Franchised bus, GMB, tramways and others
have been scrutinized here. This information should be reliable and
the same has been used in drawing up a spatial strategy for the
North Point by optimising and rebalancing the existing public
transport networks and the orientation of the business destinations
so that homes, jobs and services are better connected or related
(Draft RSS/1.92, 2005). With these objectives, the main sources of
information are the planning documents and consultation papers
published by the Government of Hong Kong. Other sources are the
departmental notifications and annual reports of organizations like
the Transport Department, Kowloon Motor Bus Company, HK
Tramways and Citybus. Other available literature and academic
research papers will also be looked into for this task. This review is
aimed at getting a clear picture of the public transportation system

of Hong Kong and has helped accomplish the following tasks related
to the case study.
(a)
identifying the hub characteristics, economic indicators and

growth factors of Hong Kong as a whole and North Point in
particular;
(b)
getting an impression on the progress and development of the

public transportation system of Hong Kong and identifying the
needs, commuters preferences, coverage, gaps and barriers if
any, of the existing transport network in Hong Kong;
(c)
understanding
existing
competitions
amongst
different
transport modes and assessing the present state of intermodal dependencies and synergies;
(d)
studying
the
overall
policy
approach
and
future
vision
earmarked for Hong Kongs public transportation system and

highlighting the drivers and motivations for such policy
framework; and
(e)
identifying other complementary measures and externalities

present in the policy package.
A detailed account of the public transport infrastructures and
transport planning initiatives and goals for Hong Kong, specially the
North Point, will be presented in Chapter IV.
2.4

Urban development is the output of successful execution of a
package of realistic plans and policies like transportation plans, land

use-plans, environmental plans and other developmental strategies,
which necessarily are (and should be) functionally integrated for
delivering social benefits (Debroy R., et al, CPCB, 2002). A quick
look at the urban development and transportation systems already
in place in different parts of the world and a review of the
development
ceaseless
trends,
shifts
technological
in
planning
innovations
approaches
reveals
that
and
there
the
exist
opportunities for further growth and development. Considering the

current
scenario,
the
prospects
and
various
problems,
the
transportation development plan for Hong Kong should adhere to

the following propositions:
" the
sustainable
development
principles
addressing
social,
economical and environmental needs;

" development of a need for the general public and responsibility
of the government;
" the hub functions and facilities of the urban centres keeping
buffer for absorbing future demands;
" community-wide economic and mobility benefits;
" international compatibility without disregarding local and regional
links;
" development of opportunities for citizens; and
" simple and innovative ideas.
Under the ambit of the above guiding principles, three

hypotheses have been identified for consideration which are:
(1)
Land use planning and transportation development should

necessarily be interlinked to facilitate better connectivity.
(2)
Relationship of stakeholders (Government, Public and the

Operators) needs greater emphasis for a successful hub
system.
(3)
Local and regional transportation links need be interconnected

for sustaining the hub functions of an area.
2.5
Surveys and Interviews

This study aims to apply the hub concept and reorganize the
existing public transportation system, linking various corridors and

nodes with North Point. Characteristically, this area is a densely
populated zone, having vertically expanding residential settlements
and mixed modes of transports (HK-2030). Thus, the transport
options and choices in this segment may vary from that of the
mainland or national average transport patterns (CBTS, 2003). This
situation, along with the aim for designing and recommending a
citizen-friendly transportation plan, demands greater emphasis for
this activity. These surveys and interviews are expected to provide
statistical information about the travel patterns of the local and
cross-boundary trips along with socio-economic profiles (CBTS,
2003) and specific preferences of the commuter population.
Properly designed and user-friendly survey formats have been used

to collect area specific data and information pertaining to traffic
patterns, commuters choices and preferences. Actual field visits
and road-side public interviews have been conducted in the course
of this activity. The collected information and data have been
analyzed to accomplish the following:
-
Examining the trip patterns of various modes of transport and

identify trip origins or destinations and trip purposes.
Examining
the
socio-economic
characteristics
of
the
commuters making the trips and establishing the travelling

behaviour
of
various
categories
and
sections
of
such
commuters.
-
Identifying the preferences, advantages, barriers and other

issues from the perspectives of the commuters.
Properly designed survey formats, audio recording and photography

aids and other required tools have been used in this phase of
activity. The methodology description, survey data and analysis will
be covered in Chapter VI and VII.
Chapter III
Literature Review
3.1
Scope of Review
Over the years, the concepts of transportation system have
evolved and the less efficient systems have matured into state-ofthe-art
techniques
like
integrated
systems,
hub
and
spokes
networks, and bi-modal and multi-modal systems. To sum up, the

core concept of a transportation system and relationships between
nodes,
networks
and
demand
have
undergone
strategic
reconfiguration (Haggett, 2001). This Chapter scans through the

available literature on transportation network systems, specifically
substantiating the application of the hub concept in reorganizing
transportation network in rapidly growing cities.
Recognizable
characteristics, evidences of successful applications and other issues

pertaining to a hub network design will be presented here. Apart
from these, the following sections will also aim to identify the
benefits, success factors and limitations, if any, of adopting the hub
transportation system. Highlighted here are a general account and
international experiences on the application of the Hub concept in
designing an efficient public transportation network.
Transportation planning is a domain of multidisciplinary
subjects which needs concepts and fundamental inputs from various
subjects like geography, mathematics and statistics, engineering,
economics,
transport
management
geography
and
plays
social
sciences.
prominent
role
Out
in
of
these,
design
and
implementation of a transport plan. A pragmatic approach has been

followed in this study by referring various policy-relevant initiatives
from different parts of the world and covering all interdisciplinary
subjects. The referred policy documents of various countries vary in
economic implications and geographical scale, spreading across
local, regional as well as international jurisdictions but objectively
and conceptually, they all bear a common thread. This study aims at
reviewing
the
concepts
and
approaches
followed
in
various
international studies and any comparison and statistical analysis of

data and parameters from different countries have been kept out of
scope of this review so that such variations do not influence our
study. Similar approach has been followed by the United Nations in
the Asian Integrated Transport Network study (ST/ESCP 2399, UN
2005).
As mentioned earlier, the concept of Hub transport is not new
and this concept has found substantial use in the marine and air
transport planning initiatives. Various marine and air transport plans
have also been scanned through and examples drawn to support
application of the Hub concept.
The
sources
reviewed
here
are
essentially
regulatory
documents and national policy papers and a wide variety of
literature and materials have been referred to which include the

following categories:
-
Government policy documents and developmental plans (HK2030 and The World Banks policy reviews)
Project reports and transport reviews of the Department of

Transport (US DOT report on HSR, Hong Kong TDS and
Regional Transport Development (RTD) reports)
Sustainable development guidelines, economic evaluation

studies and area development plans (TCRP-55, HKIP reports,
Planning Standards Committee reports and City Development
guidelines)
Local planning materials for the case study (HK TDS, RDS,
city revitalization plans, public consultation papers, transport
surveys, fare structure reports of transport companies and
settlements plans)
Supplementary and supporting documents (Air transport plans,

planning reports of marine goods transport and ports and air
ports development and revitalization plans)
Other academic research papers, documents and web sources

(PhD dissertations, reports from transportation institutes and
seminar presentations and departmental websites).
There is a need for assessment and identification of success factors

for this study. To accomplish this, it is necessary to compare and
benchmark our study against some successful projects carried out

in different world cities. The examples and the projects identified for
reference and benchmarking include the following:
-
Transport plan of Bogot, Columbia.
Gothenberg, Sweden Transportation study.
Efficient transport system of Toronto, Canada.
DRT study for South East England and London city.
Traffic
calming
studies
and
surveys
for
different
cities
(Singapore, California and Leeward Oahu).

The following section will describe the treatment of Hub concept for
public transportation system and a case study on application of this
concept for Hong Kongs public transport will be covered in the next
chapter, Chapter IV.
3.2
Hub Concept Treatment

Transportation is a very dynamic and evolving subject which
has mastered unprecedented innovations and developments along

the years replacing the age old bull-carts and narrow village roads
with
the
modern
super-fast
transport
modes,
intelligent
transportation systems (ITS), multi-lane expressways and other

hosts of innovative concepts. Various concepts and ideas for
development of a transportation system have evolved along the
years some of which are point-to-point system, hub and spokes
concept, mixed and multimodal plans and trunk-feeder concept.
Modern transport needs to be efficient, user-friendly, sustainable

and functionally integrated. It is no longer treated as an isolated
entity. Rather, it is considered to be the lifeline or the facilitator in
the overall package of development, which adds value to all and
each of the other entities present in the package. Social activities,
economic developments and movements of passengers, freights as
well as information flows are all interdependent processes or
activities (Rodrigue Paul, 1998). These activities exist to serve
increasing human demands and bring in wellbeing and prosperity.
As highlighted by Dr. Rodrigue (1988), transportation is basically a
derived demand (Figure-3.1), which capacitates other activities,
facing constraints of space or geographical limitations.
A c tiv ity
W o rk in g
V a c a tio n in g
M a n u fa c tu rin g
Ta x i
A ir Tra v e ls
To u rin g B u s
Tru c k s
C o n ta in e rs h ip
D ire c t
C o m m u tin g
In d ire c t
W a re h o u s in g
E n e rg y
D e riv e d D e m a n d
Source: (Rodrigue Paul, 1998)
Fig-3.1: Transportation as Derived Demand

Geographical Settings-Relationships and Impedance
As
mentioned
earlier,
factors
like
distance,
time,
administrative interventions and topography are other constraints

faced by transportation (Rodrigue P, 1988) besides limitations of
space. Increasing population, sprawling settlements, expansion and
spreading of business locations and growing needs for commuter
mobility and freight distribution are all components having spatial
jurisdictions
or
geographical
allocations.
E.M.
Hoover
(1948)
analyzes the spatial allocations of businesses, homes and transport

infrastructures and indicates that all these components occupy
space and exist in a complex geographical setting (Hoover, 1948).
Practically, transportation as a subject can be linked to various
subjects like geography, economics, mathematics and planning.
Out of these, transport geography stands as the most prominent
body of knowledge, aiding planning and design of transportation
system. Any transportation system can be conceptualized as a
relationship
between
nodes,
networks
and
mobility
demands
(http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans) where nodes are the points of

origin, transfers and destination or termination points of a journey
or movement. These nodes are dependent on the geographical scale
of the plan, which can be interlinked to form networks as shown in
Figure-3.2 below.
(Source: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans)
Fig-3.2: Transportation System in Concepts

Transportation networks may face impedance or friction,
which affects the links of the three core relationship components of
transportation system locations, flows and terminals (Haggett P.,
2001). The impedances and core relationships are described below:
Locations - The socio-economic activities like jobs and service
centers as found in a spatial zone influence the demands for
movements and traffic and also identify the place or location
where action is taking place. The access links to these spatial
zones may face impedance or friction, which in general is a
function of the accessibility to activity zones or nodes to the
demands they cater to.
Flows The total traffic activities over a transportation network

represent the flows. Flow is a function of the demand and the
linkage capacity to support the demands and the dominant
impedance in this case is the friction of distance. This friction
stands out to the most significant impedance factor in a
transportation system.
Terminals Terminals are the facilities facilitating access to the
network and are determined by the centrality of their locations
and the connectors or linkages radiating out of them. The main
impedance here is the limitation in capacity of terminals to
handle the flows.
Many research studies give evidences of strong dependency of
transportation system on the geography of a place and other spatial
considerations (for examples see Haggett, 2001 and Hoyle and
Smith, 1998). However, geographical area or space is limited in
scale and this limitation restricts the scope for expansion of
transport networks beyond certain limits and eventually affects the
efficiency of the transport system. Increasing transport demands in
tandem with increasing occupation or consumption of geographical
space for homes and transport will result in problems like
congestion, excess emissions, accidents and time loss.
A good
number of assessment studies highlight a wide variety of transport

related problems. For example, a study carried out by DHV,
Netherlands (2001) for Hong Kong assesses that even after having
a fairly adequate transportation system, the urban centers of Hong
Kong are not spared from facing transport related problems and
notably the links and corridors to the activity zones are found to
suffer from severe congestion, air quality deterioration and also
increasing noise levels (DHV, 2001). Limitations in space, growing
population, mobility demands and the resultant problems call for
better coordination and management of transportation system. The
principal components of nodes, networks and demands as shown in
Figure-3.2 can be optimized, functionally linked and better managed
by configuring and reorganizing the core relationship components
(terminals, locations and flows) thereby controlling or reducing the
problems. A commonly used concept, which is based on similar type
of approach, is the Hub Concept. The concept of Hub and Spokes
in transportation, specially for air and marine transport is not a new
one and it has proved to be beneficial also for public road transport
as it, if designed appropriately, helps solve transport problems like
congestion and emissions. Importantly, this can also eliminate
unwanted competitions between transport modes.
Hub Concept for Public Transport Application Issues
Figure-3.3 gives a diagrammatic representation of a direct
connection or point-to-point and the hub and spokes concept as
applicable to road public transport.
Point-to-Point
Fixed Routing
Corridor
Flexible Routing
A
Hub-and-Spoke
Transshipment node
Route
Route node
Network node
Unserviced node
Alternative
route
WOXENIUS, J. (2002)
Fig-3.3: Point-to-Point vs. Hub and Spoke Systems

A point-to-point system has direct connections between places
and there are number of links increasing the probability of traffic
congestions. In a hub system the direct links are bifurcated or
divided
into
separate
connections
which
are
then
spatially
reorganized, aiming to increase accessibility for the commuters and

reducing traffic congestion in city centers. Even after splitting the
direct links, a good hub design can augment efficiency and reliability
of travel along with reduction in congestion, pollution and travel
costs. For example, for traveling from point A to point B, the pointto-point system gives you a direct connection from A to B but under
the hub system one needs to first travel to the central point G and
from there he needs to change over to go to point B. With ever
increasing congestion and demands for transport, a direct point-to-
point connection may find it hard to maintain the efficiency of travel

over a long period because of the cumulation of point-to-point links.
Moreover, the result of congestion brings along with it other public
bad or nuisances like noise, air pollution, loss of total vitality and
livability of an area, collectively degrading the overall image of the
place and making it unattractive for new businesses and people
(DHV, 2001). The hub system on the other hand reduces congestion,
noise problems and improves air quality and overall business and
living environment. It is mandatory that a hub system is designed
appropriately, giving due consideration to choices and preferences
of day-to-day passengers (Taylor, et al., 1994). The direct route
passengers need to be convinced about the reliability, efficiency and
costs of the hub options to convince them to change over to use the
hub journey. The main tasks in the application of the hub concept is
identification of the hub locations or centers, surveying and
unbiased evaluation of commuters preferences, selecting the
competing routes and modes of transport, identification of the
interchanges,
and consideration of other sustainability objectives
needed to be followed in the designated area. According to Taylor et

al (1994), commonly three sets of methodologies are available for
identification of hub locations, which are distance-based hubbing,
flow-based hubbing and the hybrid hubbing (Taylor, et al., 1994).
Distance-based hubbing aims to identify hub locations that are
convenient to one another in terms of driving distance. Flow-based

hubbing places hubs in locations such that the absolute value of
the number of loads radiating out of a service area is minimized
whereas, the hybrid methodology involves some consideration of
each of the two above factors along with additional considerations
as outlined in Taylor et al. (1994). One underlying purpose of a hub
transportation system is to provide urban renaissance within the
areas following concentration of development, better economy in
land use and better integration of land and transport systems
(Taylor, et al., 1994). The hub concept requires reorganization and
realignment of the three components of transport infrastructures viz.
transport hubs, transport spokes and transport interchanges. These
components are efficiently interlinked in a hub transportation
application, forming socially acceptable and economically viable
networks.
As components of the hub system they exhibit
recognizable features which collectively reflect and enhance the

overall functionality of the transportation system. A short account of
the exhibited features is presented below:
Transport Hubs The hub application considers only those
settlements as its hubs where there are provisions for a range of
efficient and multi-modal transport services catering to convergence
of high order economic activities (DRT, SE England). Hub concept
requires such settlements to be highly accessible and highly
development intensive. The policy makers in England term this type

of zone as Living Centres.
Transport Spokes The links and corridors to the hub centre of a
hub transport system should have the scopes for supporting the hub
locations efficiently. When identified and aligned properly, the links
virtually look like the spokes, radiating out or approaching the hub
centre. These links are vital as they determine the flow into the
hubs. They should be functionally configured to meet the local
needs.
Transport Interchanges A hub system identifies the strategic
locations where opportunities exist for present and future transport
interchanges. In application, a transport interchange should seek to
maximize travel opportunities based on good public transport
access. Normally, passengers are resistant to interchange and as
such it is necessarily to reduce the deterrence effect and costs
associated with interchange (Hine and Scott, 2000).
The modern approach to transport planning puts higher
emphasis on effective use of the built-in transportation system and
stresses on proper allocation and management of space and
existing resources (DHV, 2001). This calls for careful balancing
between various existing modes of transport and user acceptable
routing of journey starts and stops. The most prominent challenge
this type of transport arrangement faces pertains to social exclusion.

Characteristically, the general public prefers direct links and finds
stop-over journeys, as in case of a hub system, time consuming,
expensive and also unreliable (Hine and Scott, 2000). This may
render hub application as a purposeless initiative and as such
complementary measures for reducing this public exclusion must be
included in the plan (Lee A. M., 1984). To start with, the hub
transport concept needs to have provisions for total involvement of
citizens
and
commuters,
better
options
for
publicity
and
motivational campaigns and attractive economic benefits and

ticketing discounts. A common and feasible application pattern of
the hub transport concept is the multi-modal bus-to-rail interchange
arrangement where buses act as feeders to the mass rail transport.
This system seeks to reduce congestion, unwanted competition
between transport modes as well as emissions (Krysman and Dijst
M., 2001).
The Bus-to-Rail Concept and Integration Aspects
Lee (1984) studying the transportation system of Hong Kong
highlights the trunk-feeder concept and points out that a transport
planner faces a dilemma on whether to plan direct bus route
between metropolitan area and new town or to plan feeder bus
route to carry passengers to interchange with railway (Lee A. M.,
1984). A feeder service can enhance utilization of railway and

reduce wasteful competition between railways and buses. If the
trunk-feeder network is comprehensively planned, it can also help
the railway to improve its accessibility. According to Krysman and
Dijst the trunk-feeder concept is a very viable option where
transfers between modes take place at transportation nodes (e.g.
bus stops, train stations and park and ride facilities).
Integration is crucial to the success of a bus-to-rail
public transportation network. Development and enhancement of
urban transport network need to stress on integration of services
provided by multiple operators often using different modes over a
wide
geographical
area
(ST/ESCP
2399,
UN
2005).
Public
transportation systems may require physical integration of modes

and facilities, economic and cost integration and organizational
integration
for
delivering
barrier
free
and
user-friendly
transportation system (Taylor, et al., 1994). For example, better

integration of transport modes and common ticketing provisions
may give scope for seamless travel between two points without the
necessity of making separate payments for each segment of the trip,
thereby reducing the hurtle of transfer at intermodal terminals or
transfer points. As integration can improve the level of service
considerably, an increase in public transport patronage can be
expected following integration of transport modes and services.
Moreover, many studies have also proved that integration of

financial controls between different operators can give opportunities
for reduction in transport fare costs (for example Hong Kong and
Singapore transport systems). Thus, we see that multi-modal
coordination and integration of services are essential paraphernalia
which
need
to
be
imbibed
into
the
framework
of
hub
transportation system. Hine and Scott (2000) conclude that

enhanced public transport patronage is another essential condition
which lends opportunities for implementation of economically viable
hub transport network (Hine and Scott, 2000). The ambition of such
a public transport network should gradually extend to encourage
and bring in more passengers by inducing private car users to shift
to public transport. This objective is sometimes accomplished by
introducing some innovative measures, discouraging use of private
cars viz-higher parking charges and corridor congestion charges.
Therefore, a hub transportation plan is not just reorganization and
realignment of the transport modes. Its aim should not be limited
to only reducing congestion and traffic in inner city roads. Rather, it
should have other complementary measures to backup and sustain
it like parking restrictions, limited and well planned appropriate
competition between transport modes and all possible ridership
improvement measures. Further details on interchange and multimodal hub concepts will be discussed in the case study for Hong
Kong in the next chapter.

3.3
Characteristics of Hub
The most important characteristics of a hub transportation
system is that it is designed with the consideration that hubs shall

function as both centres of economic activities as well as transport
activities at all levels. A hub-and-spoke system provides better
service within communities while connecting neighborhoods to other
destinations. Community circulators pick up and drop off people
throughout a neighborhood before heading to a transit center. At
each transit center, circulator routes meet to exchange passengers
onto limited-stop express transport (like railways/buses/MTR) for
longer trips into town or other places (for example see Oahu Trans
2K project). In this way, a hub-and-spoke system allows people to
make simple connections to more places than is possible through
direct connections. The hub and spoke routes are shorter, easier to
operate and should be more reliable than existing routes that begin
or end in strategically identified areas.
The main indicators for identification of the transport hubs
are as follows (RTTP, SE England):
Political and administrative significance
Historical and cultural significance
Commercial and economic significance and prospects
Population and settlements profiles
Strategic interchange opportunities

Proximities of/to major ports, airports and rail terminals
Future growth potentials.
Any locations for consideration as a transport hub need to testify to
the above indicators. A hub should characteristically have the
features needed for ensuring vitality and viability of towns and local
centres it surrounds. While selecting the hub centres, it should also
be kept in mind that the location is strategic enough to accelerate
and sustain rural developments and rural communities respectively
(RTTP, SE England). Another important point is that the policy for
creating hubs should not alter or discourage any other previously
conceived policy parameters. A hub is required to encourage more
sustainable development patterns and activities and imbibe a
feeling for the commuters to consider that all development points
and destinations are well within reach and are conveniently
assessable. Under any conditions, a successful hub should improve
the overall level of accessibility to services and facilities and due
consideration of public preferences and travel demands is a must for
the application of the hub concept in a public transportation system
(Hine and Scott, 2000). Thus, the most dominant or visible
characteristics of a hub transport arrangement can be summarized
as below:
-
relatively smaller travel distance between successive points,
faster services and attractive transit arrangements,
efficient services and user-friendly automatic information

display systems, automatic identification and tracing of
vehicles and real-time route information; and
well designed transit facilities with commuter convenient

utility stores and food courts
3.4
Examples of Successful Application

The world has recognized the importance and potentials of
sustainable and integrated public transportation system and as of

now, many cities have in place well planned integrated transport
facilities. A survey on 45 such existing facilities has indicated
reduction of congestion as the most important driver or objective
for developing integrated transport systems (UTOPIA Survey, 1998).
Almost all cities having mass railway or metro infrastructures go for
hybrid hubbing where any specific modes like buses, trams and LRT
collect passengers from, in and around the corridors and residential
settlements and converge into strategically identified transport
interchanges, feeding passengers to the railways or metros for onward final destination journeys (LiRa, 2001). A paradigm shift in
policy
approach,
favouring
barrier
free
multimodal
transport
coordination with railways or metros as the backbone is very much

common in the policy frameworks of many world cities. Besides
aiding overall socio-economic development, different modes of
transport need to be complementary rather then competitive to

each other. This realization has been referred to as new realism
(Lee A. M., 1984) where high capacity public carrier like railways is
an automatic choice as gross transporters for being efficient, cost
effective, off-street, less polluting and comparatively accident free.
As mentioned earlier, the concept of hub and spokes

networks is not new and the maritime transport and the airlines
have been using this configuration for long (Genoa Forum, 2001).
COMAIR, a regional airline initiative (Figure-3.4) is one of the most
representative hub and spoke arrangements of air transport
networks which have Cincinnati as the hub and various links
connecting Orlando, Montreal, Manchester, Tulsa, Birmingham,
Columbia and Richmond (Rodrigue P. 1995-2005). Slowly this
concept has also made entry into the road public transportation
segment. Europe happens to be a major promoter of this
technology and the US, Japan and Hong Kong also showcase some
of the worlds best marine, airline and bus-rail transport hubs.
(Source: Rodrigue P. 1995)
Fig-3.4: COMAIR Air Transport Network

One
of
the
most
successful
examples
of
inter-modal
arrangement is the ICF (Intercontainer-Interfrigo), a joint venture

of the two major European rail operators Intercontainer and
Interfrigo, which is the only operator offering a Pan-European
network for combined road/rail transport, linking all seaports and
economic centres in European and CIS countries. ICF consists of
7600 connections, linking 1600 terminals and stations and is the
first operator in Europe to develop the hub and spokes concept.
After Europe and North America, this concept of integrated
transport is recently being adopted by an increasing number of
countries in the Asia and the Pacific region. Hong Kong and
Singapore are the biggest container ports in the world (ESPO, 200405). Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Manila and Jakarta are developing
massive
integrated
public
transportation
infrastructures.
The
concept of inter-modal connectivity has been promoted in Asia and

the Pacific through ESCAPs Asian Land Transport Infrastructure
Development project since the early 1990s. Bogot, a Latin
American city has in place one of the most successful bus-based
high capacity transit system known as Transmilenio which carries
over 700 000 passengers per day with 42000 per hour in peak
times. Bogatas success is also attributed to various innovative and
complementary measures like car-free areas, bicycles paths, better
information management and other citizen responsive policies
(Figure-3.5).
Fig-3.5: Bagota Transformations (Before and After)

Some examples of integrated public transportation facilities
and hub transit points which have been designed based on
extensive public consultation and involvement include the Bishop
Ranch interchange in Contra Costa County, the Texas Medical

Center in Houston, the Tidewater Regional Transit (TRT) and the
Leeward Oahu network (Figure-3.6).
(Source: DOT/Honolulu)
Fig-3.6: The Leeward Oahu Network (Honolulu)

There
are
also
some
unique
examples
of
integrated
transportation system success which has been complemented by

various innovative ridership enhancement schemes (TCRP/No.55,
1999). For example, Surabaya in Indonesia has implemented a low
cost transportation system without building new infrastructures but
only with better planning and realignment of the north-south bus
links backed up by public awareness campaigns.
This has seen
substantial increase in public transport riderships (J. Kenworthy et

al., 1996). Other similar examples of hub transport corridors are
the Chicago Hub Network (Figure-3.7), Empire corridor, England
(Figure-3.8) and the Toronto Transit (Figure-3.9).
Source: MTI Report 05-01
Fig-3.7: The Chicago Hub Network
Source: MTI Report 05-01
Fig-3.8: The Empire and Northeast Corridors
projects are the Chicago Hubth in Western Australia (Currambine

Line), the Consorcio de Transportes de Madrid (CTM) project of
(Source: TTC-2001)
Fig-3.9: The Toronto Connections

The city of London is an appropriate example of city
transformation brought about by innovative transport arrangements.
Figure-3.10 shows the London city traffic conditions before and
after interventions. Cities like Madrid and Beijing exhibit nonmotorized transport options like bicycles and other alternatives.
(Source: RTTP, SE England)
Fig-3.10: London Traffic Scenarios (Before and After)
3.5
Identification of Success Factors

Transportation is a very dynamic subject responsive to a
diverse base of parameters like technology, economy, demography,

human behavior and commuter preferences. The most important
objective, inducing steady uptake of integrated public transportation
systems the world over is reduction in traffic congestion (LiRa,
2001) however, in a broader sense the underlying aim is to
accomplish the vision for all-round sustainable development. The
objectives and aims of any initiatives have a strong bearing on the
identification of the success indicators.
However, in the case of
transportation, evaluation or assessment has become a difficult task

owing to the presence of psychological parameters like human
behaviors and preferences (Kenworthy et al., 1997).
Source: (Taylor B.D., et al)
Fig-3.11:
Transportation
System Analysis Framework
With the main objectives of providing congestion free efficient

public transportation system and delivering urban renaissance
(DRTP, SE England), a brief but effective framework for analysis and
identification of success indicators of hub transportation system has
been worked out as per the layout in Figure-3.11 above.
In a hub transportation setup, the aim is to have a well
covered, barrier free and reliable feeder transport network (like bus)
for feeding passengers to a high capacity mass transport or the
backbone transport (like MTR or metro rails) through strategic
locations in such a way that the mass transport achieves best
capacity utilization. Thus, passenger ridership is a measurable
indicator for such a transport system (Taylor B.D., et al). This
ridership assessment can have two distinct approaches (1)
descriptive analysis involving analysis of attitudes and perceptions
of commuters, and (2) examination of transits environmental and
systems
characteristics,
i.e.,
causal
analyses.
Under
the
2nd
approach the analyses need to focus on the overall transit systems

(aggregate study) as well as on individual or specific transport
mode (disaggregate study). From the research point of view and
recognizing the importance of the general public or commuters in
the transportation dynamics, it is decided to follow approach (1)
descriptive analysis for identifying the drivers of success in this
transportation study. Public surveys and interviews are the main
components of such studies and the same have been conducted in

the course of our case study (which will be covered in Chapters VI
to VII).
Here some important success factors (both external and
internal)
have
been
theoretically
identified
by
reviewing
compendium of various international transportation planning and

management initiatives and experiences. The experiences of some
of the projects as indicated in Section-3.4 have been reviewed and
the following facts and issues have emerged which directionally
highlight few vital points, options and needs for planning a
successful integrated transport system.
Global Visions and Objectives - A clear trend is that almost all
the cities having visions and aspirations of becoming world class
cities are found to have very efficient and integrated system of
public transport (for example-Hong Kong, Singapore, Bogot,
Shanghai, London and Tokyo). Thus, the vision of a city may be a
good motivation for development of transport networks and
infrastructures. A government needs to share the vision with
people for the successful implementation of plans. For example,
cities like Beijing and Delhi with their visions for staging the
Olympics and Common Wealth games respectively are seen
constructing massive public transport networks and both cities
enjoy complete cooperation from their citizens. The cities which
have staged or have visions for staging mega events like

Olympics (Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing) are found to have in place a
very good and efficient public transportation system with highest
patronage. This important observation further adds credibility to
this vision component. Better sharing of the aims and objectives
of the government plans and visions may help build public
support and cooperation in favour of the developmental plans.
Planning and Management - A paradigm shift in transport
planning approach as well as a change in role, management and
ownership of public transport system is needed. The majority of
the successful projects reflect the need to consider accessibility
approach for transport planning (see UTOPIA Survey, 1998,
COMAIR, Thames Valley MMS and England). Moreover, it is also
clear
required
that
political
responsibility
and
responsibility are separated (Taylor B.D., et al).
operational
A good
Government should play the role of a good regulator whereas

fleet operation should be competitively managed by private
parties (like in Hong Kong and Singapore).
Integration Aspects Transport provisions need to be well
integrated with the overall spatial strategy of the development
area. Integration is also needed with objectives of other existing
policies (RTTP, SE England) (for example-Hong Kong and
Bogot).
Smart Card and Complementary Options Use of smart travel

cards as in Hong Kong (Octopus cards) and Singapore with
discounts
for
increasing
use
and
pre-loading
multi-use
functionality in the same cards, enabling use in all modes of

transport and other functions like purchase and bill payments.
For example, credit card companies may co-operate with
transport operators for such unique value added cards which can
be used to pay for all travels as well as to serve other day-to-day
transactions.
Better
and
sophisticated
communication
and
journey schedule displays are other options.

Fiscal Instruments Fines, higher parking fees and other
penalties can be imposed to discourage the use of private
vehicles and encourage transit uses. Commuter-friendly tickets,
fares, riding comfort and public interchange facilities also help
increase
ridership
in
public
transport
(Example-
Bogot,
Singapore, and California).

Other Internal Factors Service quantity, frequency and quality
should be enhanced to make public transport popular. Other
common factors include station safety, prompt customer service,
station facilities for disabled persons and other options for
increasing overall social inclusion.
With these modern dynamics, transportation and mobility plans
and issues need to be judged in the broad context of overall
sustainability, security, safety and reliability. Most importantly, for

conceiving a successful transportation plan, involvement of the
general public and commuters in all stages of plan formulation is of
immense importance (LiRa, 2001).
Chapter IV
4.1
Scope of Review
This chapter presents a review of the overall developments
and trends of the public transportation system in Hong Kong under

two different spatial setups the citywide area and the local area of
North Point. To begin with, the review is aimed at providing a
realistic picture of the public transportation system throughout Hong
Kong. The strategies and the visions creating Hong Kongs public
transport networks are highlighted here. The review then proceeds
to focus North Point. North Point has been identified as the area for
a
case
study
in
this
dissertation
and
as
such
the
public
transportation arrangements and links approaching to and radiating

out from this area will be subject to critical reviews in this chapter.
The study will be limited to on-road and rail transport modes only.
Other modes like marine transport will not be covered in this paper
because these modes cater to a very small portion of Hong Kongs
local travel needs. Their exclusion should not have any effect on the
outcome of the study. Besides identifying the characteristics, trends,
advantages and limitations of Hong Kongs public transport system,
this study will cover the underlying policy measures and future
visions for development. All the information used for this section
has
been
sourced
from
government
policy
reports,
public
consultation papers and other materials as published by the

government of Hong Kong from time to time. This chapter then
concludes with an appraisal of the public transportation system for
North Point.
4.2
Public Transport System in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the most progressive cities of the world,
with a population of over 6.8 million in 1103 sq-km and a density of

6300 people/sq-km (HK Facts, 2003). Hong Kong has a road length
of 1934 km and a vehicle count of about 271 vehicles/km. The
public transportation system in Hong Kong, especially on-road and
rail transport, is presently one of the most efficient, commuterfriendly and economically competitive passenger transport systems
in the world. On a working day, more than 13 million passenger
trips (HKTS, 2005) are made using various modes of transport like
trains, light rails, buses, minibuses, taxis, private cars, trams and
ferries which constitute over 90% of the total daily trips. This city
has a good history and expertise in developmental initiatives.
Realizing the need for systematic planning and development, Hong
Kong initiated its first Colony Outline Plan (COP) as early as 1965,
which was finally completed in 1971 and endorsed by the Executive
Council in 1972 (HKPSG, 2001). This COP was revised and upgraded
as HKOP (Hong Kong Outline Plan) in 1974.
Special Purpose
Bus
9%
Trams
2%
Taxis
8%
Public Light Bus

12%
Rail
25%
Ferry
1%
Private Vehicles
11%
Franchised Bus
32%2005)
(Source: UNESCAP-TTD,
Figure-4.1: Modal Share of Passenger Trips in Hong Kong

In 1980, the Government embarked on formulating a longterm development strategy called the Territorial Development
Strategy (TDS), which was finalized later in 1984. In fact this TDS
marks the initiation of a forward-looking development policy process
(HKPSG, 2001) for Hong Kong and this is when a broad land usetransport framework was conceived and formulated in 1990.
However, the real thrust of sustainable transportation has been
seen
from
1990
onwards
with
the
commencement
of
comprehensive review of the TDS. After substantial technical

deliberations and extensive public consultations, the final TDS
report was submitted and endorsed by the Executive Council of
Hong Kong in February 1998. There again surfaced a few more
issues for consideration calling for further review and update of the
1998 TDS and this updated and revised TDS went on to become a
vision for Hong Kongs physical development called Hong Kong
2030 or HK-2030. All these efforts have contributed to making
Hong Kong a reckoning force in the field of public transportation

system the world over. According to a Government sponsored study
on the Sustainable Development of Hong Kong for 21st Century
(SUSDEV21), the city exhibits a very high level of public transport
usage because of its compact city structure. It is a fit case for use
of off-street high capacity public transport carriers, with the
advantage of being less polluting and relatively accident free.
However, it is not easy for Hong Kong to provide a world class
transportation system considering the geographical undulations and
very hard and rocky land surface. In its quest for enhancing travel
quality and efficiency, Hong Kong has to adopt a massive coordination and integration of different transport modes. Presently,
the city relies on well-stretched metro rail circulators with buses
covering the inner and residential areas. There also are trams, minibuses, light rail transit (LRT) and ferries supporting the main
carriers at some specific locations. The transportation sector in
Hong Kong is run by both private and public enterprises with the
Government facilitating as a regulator.
Railway Network
Hong Kongs railway development follows the framework
outlined
in
the
Railway
Development
Strategy-1
(RDS-1)
formulated by the government in 1991 and endorsed by the

Executive Council in 1993-1994. Later, another development study
(RDS-2) was commissioned in 1998 to produce a policy roadmap for

further railway development in Hong Kong up to 2016. Hong Kong
today has an efficient rail transport network. Railways account for
over 43 per cent of the total daily public transport volume (Figure4.1). Two corporations, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTR) and the
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) operate the train
services in Hong Kong and they together form a very extensive
railway network covering the whole of Hong Kong as shown in
Figure-4.2 below.
Established in 1975, the MTR was formerly wholly owned by
the Government but privatized in 2000 to become a public limited
company with the Government remaining as a major shareholder
whereas, the KCRC operating since 1910 was corporatized in 1983
and remains wholly owned by the Government. Both corporations
operate on prudent commercial principles, providing efficient,
reliable and safe passenger rail services to the public (HKTS, 2005).
Fig-4.2: Railways Network in Hong Kong (MTR and

KCRC)
Fig-4.3: The MTR Network in Hong Kong
There are seven MTR lines, five of which serve the metro
network within inner urban Hong Kong area and two connecting to
the air port and the Disneyland. The seven lines that come under its
jurisdiction are (Figure-4.3):
Island Line
Tsuen Wan Line
Kwun Tong Line
Tung Chung Line
Tseung Kwan O Line
Hong Kong Disneyland Line and
Airport line
The Tseung Kwan O
line has been recently extended to North
Point following the completion of a congestion relief work at Quarry

Bay Station and this makes North Point Station an additional
interchange between the Kwun Tong Line and the Island Line (red
dashed rectangle in Fig-4.3). The MTR has 53 stations in all. On an
average it carries over 3.2 million passengers per day (as of 2003).
The dedicated Airport Express rail link running between the airport
and the city centre carries about 25000 passengers per day on
average.
The KCRs network (Figure-4.4) connects the northeastern and
northwestern parts of the New Territories with the urban areas of
Hong Kong. There are four systems under the corporation, namely
East Rail, West Rail, Ma On Shan Rail and Light Rail.
Fig-4.4: The KCRC Rail Network

The Light Rail Transit with feeder buses is operated in the TSA
in NWNT. For cross-boundary traffic, the East Rail provides both
passenger and freight services. The West Rail commenced service in
2003. Besides, the Ma On Shan Rail and Tsim Sha Tsui Extension
opened in 2005 whereas the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line is scheduled to
open in 2008.
Light Rails and Tramways
The Light Rail started its operation in 1988 to cater for the
transport needs of the residents of the north-west New Territories.
Now it has a route length of about 36 km with 68 stops. It runs with

a maximum speed of 80 km/hr and carries about 370 000
passenger trips every day. It has four interchange stations with
West Rail located in Tuen Mun, Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai to
facilitate passenger interchange between the two rail networks. A
4.4-kilometre extension of the Light Rail to the newly developed
area of Tin Shui Wai was opened in December 2003.
Since 1904 electric trams have been operating on Hong Kong
Island and now the tramway operates six routes on 16 kms of
double track with an average daily passenger trips of approximately
220 000. There is also the Peak Tram, a cable-hauled funicular
railway running between Central and the Peak. Beginning operation
in 1888, it operates at a gradient ranging from 4 to 27 degrees, and
is one of the popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong.
Bus Transport Services in Hong Kong
There has been a long history of bus services in Hong Kong
and as of now five companies are operating franchised public bus
services in this city. There also exist various non-franchised bus
services including feeder bus services operated by KCRC and
residents services for estates mainly in the New Territories. The five
franchised bus companies are:
Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited
Citybus Limited
Long Win Bus Company Limited
New World First Bus Services Limited
New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB)
founded in 1933 is one of the largest privately-owned public bus
operators in the world. KMB's fleet consist of about 4,300 buses on
420 routes with a staff of over 13,000. The Citybus began its
operation in Hong Kong in 1979 with one double-decker, providing
shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into
operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and
Kowloon Tong MTR station. In 1998 the New World First Bus
Services Limited was established taking over China Motor Bus's
franchise to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with
Citybus. There are light public buses called the minibuses or
maxicabs which covers especially those parts and areas of Hong
Kong where standard buses do not reach. These mini-buses carry a
maximum of 16 passengers and offer a faster and efficient service
with more expensive fares compared to the franchised buses,
attempting to provide door-to-door passenger service. They are
further grouped into two types of public light buses, green
minibuses that have regulated fares, route numbers and designated
stops, and the red minibuses that do not have regulated fares and
regular routes and are unnumbered with no fixed stops.
Taxis/Cars and Other Transport

Different coloured taxis largely using LPG fuel are available in
Hong Kong and they serve different areas, distinguished by their
colours. As of 2005, there are 18,138 taxis in Hong Kong, 15,250 of
which are urban taxis (in red), 2,838 New Territories taxis (in
green), and 50 Lantau taxis (in blue). Everyday they carry 1.1
million, 207,900, and 1,400 passengers respectively in the three
areas. Taxis carry a total 1.3 million passengers each day,
representing about 12% of the daily patronage carried by all modes
of public transport in Hong Kong. The other road-based transport
mode is the private car. There are 517,000 cars licensed in Hong
Kong, 64% of which are private cars. Car ownership in Hong Kong is
generally low, reflecting that the overall public transportation
system in Hong Kong is good enough to discourage use of private
vehicles.
4.3
Characteristics of Public Transport in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, like other developed cities in the world, is no
exception to the fundamental phenomenon of traffic congestion or

the Downs law (D. Timothy, HK University). An increase in the
traffic capacity of the road network is likely to result in a rise in
travel demand that will soon erode much of the improvements in
road capacity. The improvements in traffic situation get washed
away by the ceaseless increase in transport demands and number

of vehicles. Thus, building more roads and meeting transport
demands by increasing road space supply will not ensure smooth
and efficient traffic for long and this situation calls for consideration
of other measures like prioritizing and restricting use of roads and
discouraging use of private vehicles by financial instruments like
road taxes and congestion fees. More importantly, a comprehensive
and integrated transportation policy may be the best solution to
such congestion and inefficiency problems (Newman, et al., 1989).
Experiencing exponential rise in traffic and travel demands, Hong
Kong has realized this problem and the Government soon decided to
work out detailed plan for development of sustainable transport in
the city. In 1973, Hong Kong initiated its first Comprehensive
Transport Study, CTS-1 and the same was revised and updated as
the 2nd Comprehensive Transport Study, CTS-2 in 1987 which was
further updated as the 3rd Comprehensive Transport Study, CTS-3
in 1999. All these studies recommended comprehensive and
integrated public transportation arrangements for Hong Kong. Any
transportation
system
comes
into
being
following
the
implementation of strategy or transport development plan conceived

and framed in consideration of a series of issues and needs like
commuter population, dispersion of residential settlements and
work zones, travel demands, economy, social activity levels,
recreational and tourist needs, traffic problems like congestion and

noise,
financial
abilities
and
other
national,
regional
and
international perspectives. All these perspectives give a new

dimension to the meaning of integrated transportation. In modern
terms, transport integration is no longer restricted only to physical
integration of transport links but rather it is extended to include
(a) physical integration, (b) network integration, (c) economic or
fare integration, (d) information integration and (e) institutional
integration. For identifying the characteristics of Hong Kongs public
transportation system, it is necessary to see how it fares with
regard to the above integration requirements (Cullinane, 2003).
(a)
Physical Integration: Hong Kong has mostly undergone

vertical
expansions.
There
is
concentration
of
human
settlements, business activities and other services including

transport in and arround the city zones. This pattern of
development has helped Hong Kong develop a functionally
integrated and well connected public transportation system
and services. This situation has also limited the need for
extensive use of private vehicles/cars and has further given
scope for use of non-motorised and safer transport modes like
bicycles and pedestrian networks in the inner city areas.
(b)
Network
Integration:
Hong
Kong
already
has
fairly
integrated multi-modal transport network where buses, trams,
ferries ply as feeders to the mass transport railways which act

as very efficient circulators or main carriers. Integration
between the franchised buses and the railways is very clearly
seen. However, there also exist bus-to-bus coordination
services.
In a limited way, some competitions also exist
between buses and trains in a few stretches or routes. The

overall network is quite efficient and caters for 90% of the
total travel demands, one of the highest in the world.
(c)
Fare Payment Integration: Hong Kong, like Singapore, has

one of the best examples of integrated public transport fare
payment. Innovative concepts like the Octopas cards enables
a commuter to pay for travel in almost all the transport
modes (trains, buses and ferries). This helps and encourages
patronage of public transport.
(d)
Information Integration: All the transport strategies of Hong

Kong have a common recommendation on augmenting and
integrating transportation related information. Increased use
of ICT, GIS and other digital tracking devices is visible in
stations, transport interchanges and inside trains. There are
good arrangements for display of journey details, status and
schedules for commuters.
(e)
Institutional Integration: The operation and coordination of

public transport services in Hong Kong rest on an efficient
institutional mechanism, having participation from both the

government and private sectors. Responsibilities for transport
operation are strategically distributed to the private and public
entities with the Government playing the role of a facilitator
and the regulator. Government issues franchised routes to
private operators and keep an eye on the level of competition
between different transport modes. It also ensures that this
competition will not rise or fall beyond a pre-determined level.
There is also a very high and diverse base of functional
integration between various service providers in Hong Kong.
Thus, it is understood that Hong Kongs public transportation

system has the characteristics akin to that of an efficient and
integrated transport network.
4.4
Public Transport Appraisal for North Point

Any developmental plans including transportation plans are
conceived with the objectives to bring in socio-economic well being

and prosperity for the citizens. Keeping the same objectives,
transportation planning has evolved along the years and gradually
adopted a more human centric approach where the core concept is
plan for people, not vehicles. This is in keeping with the central
theme of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
which emphasizes that "human beings are the centre of concerns
for sustainable development; they are entitled to a healthy and

productive life in harmony with nature"(Rio Declaration/UNCD,
1992).
This
approach
calls
for
integrated
and
sustainable
development of transport infrastructures, networks and modes.

With these broad objectives in mind, an appraisal for the public
transportation system in North Point has been undertaken. In
Chapter 3, Section 3.5, framework for transportation system
analysis is discussed and some success factors or indicators of
successful transportation system are identified. Further, in Section
4.3 of this chapter, we have identified Hong Kongs public
transportation planning objectives, integration requirements and
characteristics of the transportation system. Considering that the
transportation network in North Point is sustainable as it ought to be
as envisaged in various HK Government plans and visions (CTS-3,
RDS-2 and HK-2030), a simple appraisal process has been adopted
as outlined below(Figure-4.5).
Objective Appraisal
Present Scenarios
Future Scenarios
Problems Appraisal
Solution & Options

Appraisal
Planned Based
Options
Technology Based
Options
Public Perception Surveys
Final Plan
(Source: adopted from Baron et al., 2002)
Fig-4.5: The Appraisal Process

Description of the Site
North Point is an area located on the Island of Hong Kong
which is characterized by high-rise commercial establishments and
residential buildings of various vintages (1950s-1980s). The overall
ambiance of the area (Figure-4.6) can be assumed from the fact
that in 1950s, North Point was listed as the most densely populated
area on earth (www.wikipedia.com).
Fig-4.6: Hong Kong North Point Area (Case Study Site)

This place lies in the northern part of Hong Kong Island, starting
from the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter in the western side,
stretching eastward to Victoria Park, Tin Hau, Fortress Hill and North
Point.
In
recent
years,
North
Point
developments and redevelopments.

Railway Networks and MTR Station
has
undergone
rapid
This area is served by the Island Line and the Tseung Kwan O
Line of the MTR. It has a North Point (NP) MTR station which is the
terminus of the Tseung Kwan O Line. This station has four platforms,
two upper levels and two lower levels. Platforms Nos. 2 and 4 are in
the upper levels and Nos. 1 and 3 are in the lower levels. The Island
Line (MTR) from Chai Wan after passing Quarry Bay Station comes
to Platform No. 2 of the NP station. Then it leaves for Sheung Wan
passing through many stations in between like Causeway Bay,
Admiralty and Central. The Tseung Kwan O line (MTR) starting from
Po Lam and passing through Tiu Keng Leng, Yau Tong and Quarry
Bay terminates at Platform No. 4 in the NP (MTR) station (see
Figures 4.2, 4.3 and 4.7). The Tseung Kwan O line on its return
starts from Platform No. 3 towards Po Lam. This line has been
extended from Quarry Bay to North Point MTR station. The NP-MTR
station has many exits of which exit A1 along Java road leads to the
North Point Ferry Pier Bus Terminus (NP Ferry Pier BT). Exits A4,
A2 and A3 lead to
Java Road, Marble Road and Ordeon Road
To Sheung Wan
Upper Level
PTF-2
PTF-4
PTF-3
PTF-1
To Po Lam
respectively and other exits, B1, B2 and B3 all lead to Kings Road.
Lower Level
NORTH POINT
Fig-4.7: The North Point MTR Station (Schematics)
(Source: MTR Web)
Fig-4.8: New MTR Interchange Arrangements

Railway Interchange at North Point
With the extension of the Tseung Kwan O line up to the NP
Station, the total prospects and connectivity of this area have
increased immensely. Figures-4.2, 4.3 and 4.8 show that now North
Point has the widest and comprehensive railway network (MTR) as
its mass passenger circulators. Today it is possible to come and go
to North Point by railway from almost all places of Hong Kong. This
gives a strategic advantage to North Point from all directions.
Bus Networks and Terminus
There are many bus routes from nearby as well as far off
areas connecting North Point. There is a bus terminus by the name
of NP Ferry Pier Bus Terminus, which is just within 10-12 minutes

walking distance from the NP MTR station. This terminus also
functions as a bus-to-bus interchange and many long distance
buses use it as their start point. Buses having both direct and cross
harbour services are seen crowding the approaches to North Point
causing congestion and increasing road level emissions. There also
are cross harbour bus services especially from East Kowloon and
many buses stop at or pass through North Point to other
destinations. Some of the destinations from or to where buses come
to or go from North Point ferry pier include New Disneyland
(Route No. R11), Airport (A12), Braemer Hill (27, 529), Happy
Valley (19), Stanley (63, 65), Siu Sai Wan (85), Parkfield Road (23),
Chai Wan (82), Kennedy Town (10, 18P) and Kowloon City (3).
There are two expressways serving North Point, which are
Island Eastern Corridor and the Eastern Harbour Crossing. North
Point is also served in a limited way by other modes like - Hong
Kong Tramways, Mini-buses and by ferries. However, these are not
considered in this study as the share of daily travel needs they cater
for is very small compared to buses and MTRs.
The Appraisal
The background information of North Point as described in the
previous
section
arrangements.
gives
fair
idea
on
the
overall
transport
We can now carry out the appraisal process as
outlined in Figure-4.5. Considering the existing system of public

transportation at North Point, this appraisal seeks to explore the
followings:
" Can the existing transport arrangements at North Point meet the
present requirements/needs?
" If yes, then the efficiency and other advantages of NP public
transport modes should be identified.
" In case no, then problems and limitations of NP public transport
system should be highlighted.
Moreover, there will also be stress on identifying and highlighting
any other salient features of the existing public transportation
system of North Point such as levels of competitions, capacity
utilization. Also, one important component of the appraisal process
is public consultation which has been done in the form of site
surveys and passengers interviews in the course of this study and
will be reported in Chapters VII, VIII and IX. The other components
will be appraised below:
Objective Appraisal: Hong Kongs public transportation system
including that of North Point has been conceived with objectives and
visions as enshrined in different plans like CTS-3, RDS-2, HK-2030.
The common objectives any transportation system in Hong Kong
needs to achieve include:
adhering to the principle of sustainable development,
enhancing hub functions,

providing good quality living environment,
providing
safe,
efficient,
economically
viable
and
environmentally friendly conditions.

Appraising
based
on
the
above
objectives;
the
public
transportation system at North Point falls short from meeting the

objectives under the present circumstances. Growing congestion,
noise and air pollution presently threaten sustainability, living and
business environment of North Point. Moreover safety, especially for
pedestrians is a concern here.
Appraisal of Present and Future Scenarios: Future projections for
Hong Kong indicate accelerated growth of population, business,
transport demand and residential need. North Point will face the
pressures of this growth in future. This calls for forward planning
and measures for absorbing future growth. The population base at
present, which is 6.93 million, is forecast to increase to 7.67, 8.63
and over 9.40 millions by 2010, 2020 and 2030 respectively (HK2030). The expected changes in other parameters that may
specifically influence the dynamics of North Point are outlined in
Table-4.1 below.
Table-4.1: Present and Future Scenarios of Some Parameters

Parameters
Unit
Present
Future Scenarios
Population
million
2005/06
6.93
2010
7.67
2020
8.63
2030
9.40
Employment
million
3.26
3.58
3.86
4.03
Road Length
KM
19041
19432
19553
Rail-Psgr.-KM Travel
344
495
586
Rail Emp. Catchments
714
765
806
Source: WP No.35/HK-2030. [1=2000, 2=2004, 3=2005, 4=1999, 5=2007, 6=2016]
Appraisal Issues and Problems: Hong Kongs public transportation

system serves over 13 million passenger trips daily. Passenger
movement in North Point is mostly dependent on the MTR and the
franchised buses. Both modes run on pure business principles with
no direct subsidies or financial support from the Government.
Accessibility and livability of North Point are under strain and the
approaches and corridors leading to North Point manifest some
problems as outlined below:
1) Growing population and transport demands; existence of direct
bus connections to and from North Point; and commuters
natural preference for direct point-to-point bus travel. All of
these lead to congestion.
2) On going road and infrastructure maintenance works.
This
hampers fluent flow of traffic.

3) Traffic noise and road level vehicle emissions are increasing.
This makes the environment to deteriorate.
4) Increased motorized traffic.
This intimidates free movement of
pedestrians, especially the children and the elderly.

Appraisal of Options and Solutions: Admittedly the sustainability of
the existing public transportation system in North Point is facing
threats mainly due to traffic congestion. Thus, it is necessary to
relieve the road network connecting North Point and prevent traffic
congestion. There may be several options for solving this problem.
One approach based on the principle of sustainability is appraised
below:
-
Buses contribute to congestion, traffic noise and deterioration of

air quality in this area.
Hence any improvement to the bus
network should help.

-
At present a passenger can travel from almost any destination

directly up to the North Point Ferry Pier Terminus and other
adjoining locations. Many nearby places, residential areas and
even cross-harbour new settlement areas have direct bus
services to NP. The volume of bus trips to this area appears to be
very high but the observed bus capacity utilization is quite low.
Most buses approaching NP are seen having excessive empty
seats.
The north shore of Hong Kong Island, including NP, has a very
efficient MTR network connecting most of other places. With the
extension of the MTR TKO line to NP, NP is now hooked to a very
comprehensive
and
extensive
outer
area
through
railway
circulators, covering cross harbour and NT destinations. This calls

for, and gives scope for, coordination of bus and train services
with a view to cutting down wasteful journeys and competing
parallel routes. This type of integrated service, when planned and
coordinated properly, should be one of the best prescriptions for
curing congestion. The options for solving the present problems
at North Point may include re-arrangement of the transport
system based on the application of the hub concept. In such an
arrangement, buses take passengers to and from the MTR and
the MTR transports them over longer distances to the congested
areas. If implemented, this plan is expected to reduce congestion,
traffic
noise
and
also
improve
air
quality,
thus
restoring
accessibility and livability of North Point.

There is scope for adjustments and rearrangements of the bus
routes connecting to and from North Point. Some buses can be
taken off from North Point and may be put to use on routes to
and from MTR/KCRC stations and in areas where there is no rail
connection. Many buses can be restricted from entering directly
to North Point to route them to the nearest railway station for
their onward journey by taking a train (MTR/KCRC) to reach their
final destination in North Point.
Figures-4.9 (a) and (b) show respectively the existing

public transport network arrangements with North Point at the
centre and the situation likely to emerge with the application of
the hub concept.
(a)
(b)
Fig-4.9: Indicative Representation of the Hub Concept

The blue circle in the figures is North Point, red lines are railway
connections (MTR and KCRC) and blue lines are bus connections. It
is clear from (Fig-a) that many bus routes directly converge at
North Point and cause traffic congestion.
Some places already
having a rail link to NP also have direct bus route to NP. Such direct
connections may be diverted from NP to nearby railway stations
from where passengers can easily travel to NP via the railway. This
should be a viable option for relieving congestion as shown in (figb).
Thus, the hub concept can be a solution to the transport
problems of North Point but there may be a barrier in the
implementation of the same as the railways serving NP are almost

running at their maximum capacity utilization levels. There may not
be much scope for accommodating the extra passengers expected
to switch over from bus to train with the implementation of the hub
transport plan. Moreover, scopes for increasing frequency of train
services are also bleak.
Therefore, a true hub transport system may not be a viable
solution for North Point.
Taking this into account, three more
options have been identified. They are:
1) A bus-to-MTR arrangement based on the hub concept where

bus and MTR will act as feeder and mass transporter respectively.
2) Rearrangement, through optimization of bus routes following a
mixed pattern where a few strategically important trunk bus
services are retained and others to serve as feeder to MTR, or
3) Provision of a new island line (MTR-Island Line 2) to cater to the
increasing passengers. This can be an option in the medium to
long term and once completed it can help sustain and absorb the
ever-increasing transport demand at North Point.
However, it is not as simple as it sounds. Sufficient planning and
public interaction are required to determine the best arrangement.
Commuters in general prefer direct connection and here lies the
challenge to plan the network in such a way that they find it easy to
change their travel habit and go to the same destination, using both
bus and train. Also it is necessary to take special care that in no way,
the total fare or cost of the bi-modal journey under the hub
transport setting exceeds the fare of the usual point-to-point or a
single-mode journey. This is a very important criterion and if
possible, the fares in a split journey should be discounted for daily
travelers so that they find cost benefit in using this new travel
system. It is more important because, apart from being an
economic factor, fares or transport costs also have political inhibition.
As such increasing the journey costs is most likely an unpopular
move. Therefore, inclusion of the general public in the planning
process is very vital for a successful hub transport arrangement.
Equally unacceptable is to cut down direct connections and to
transfer at rail stations (CST-3). Another fact is that HK government
by policy has been encouraging competition between transport
modes (HKPSG, 2001), especially between buses in order to raise
service standards.
Following this policy, the bus operators have
invested in enhancing service quality and bus fleets over the years.
The hub concept may not augur well with this sort of competition.
As such this hub arrangement may face strong opposition from the
fleet operators. This issue need to be considered. One way out may
be to introduce the hub transport plan in a phased manner, taking
one area at a time and not imposing the policy all over in one single
go. Doing this should give time and space to the operators to
rearrange their business accordingly. Thus, to start with, a true and

widespread hub system may not be possible and it is better to have
a mixed pattern of transport arrangement having some limited
direct or point to point connections as well as hub connection. In
any case, considering public perception through surveys and
interviews and a good awareness campaign are vital for the
implementation of a successful hub transport plan. There are also
other technical and planning measures complementary to the hub
system like introduction of congestion charges, higher parking fees
for private vehicle and travel discounts.
Surveys and Final Plan: As stated earlier, surveys and commuters
interviews are important activities for generating data regarding
public perception and desires which should ultimately aid in making
a citizen friendly and socially acceptable transport plan. Detailed onsite surveys and interviews have been conducted in and around NP
in this study the results of which will be discussed in Chapters 7 and
8 respectively. These survey results will be considered in making
the final plan and accordingly the required transport appraisal sheet
(TAS) has been filled up and attached to chapter VIII.
Chapter V
5.1
Settings of Propositions and Hypotheses

Urban development is the output of a successful execution of
a package of realistic plans and policies like transportation plans,

land use-plans and environmental plans and other developmental
strategies, which necessarily are (and should be) functionally
integrated for delivering social benefits (Debroy R., et al, CPCB,
2002). A quick look at the urban development and transportation
systems already in place in different parts of the world and a review
of the development trends, shifts in planning approaches and the
ceaseless
technological
innovations
reveal
that
there
exist
opportunities for further growth and development. Land use and

transportation are inextricably linked and as such any investments
in transport developments can also influence the land use patterns.
Even uninhabited areas grow up and find people relocated to these
areas following completion of new road and highway construction.
This is how transportation initiatives contribute to sprawl and this
type of development creating sprawl has become a concern for city
planners and authorities. However, the concern for sprawl also has a
positive link, which can be substantiated from the fact that our
endeavours in countering and discouraging sprawl lead to the
development of smart growth strategies and solutions (Handy

Susan,
2002).
Another
connection
between
land
use
and
transportation is that city development may also influence travel

patterns (Guiliano, Genevieve, 1995). Compact development patterns in the
urban areas make transit and walking a challenge whereas lowdensity developments in the outskirts necessitate use of private cars
or personal transport for communication. There are different schools
of thoughts regarding the interplay of land-use patterns and
transportation developments, with divergent views and concepts
focusing on different issues of urban development. Following these
developments
Guiliano
(1995)
concludes
that
the
precise
relationship between transportation and land use continues to elude

us and there appears to be a cluster of unsubstantiated beliefs
about the connection between land-use and transportation (Guiliano,
Genevieve, 1995). Other issues like transport demands, transport

costs, spatial settings of homes and work centers are central
research domains for transport researchers and till date many
researchers have come out with a host of propositions and
established different hypotheses related to sustainable development
of a public transportation system. This chapter identifies some
important
propositions
on
public
transport
planning
and
development and explores how they fit into the schemes of

transportation planning and strategizing. Finally, it concludes by
outlining three vital hypotheses pertaining to a public transportation

system based on a hub-concept. Since the theme of this study is
consistent with that of an inter-modal transport system, the main
focus here is directed towards inter-modal, precisely bus-MTR
transport arrangement.
5.2
Propositions
Whatever may be the case, it can be claimed with a high
degree of confidence that land-use planning and development of an

area has an influence on the transportation development and
patterns of that area and vise versa. Considering the current NP
scenario, the prospects and various problems, a transportation
development plan for NP should be consistent with the following
propositions:
" adhere to the sustainable development principles addressing
social, economical and environmental needs.
" consider development as a need for common public and
responsibility of the government.
" enhance the hub functions and facilities of the urban centres,
keeping buffer for absorbing future demands.
" provide community-wide economic and mobility benefits.
" plan for international compatibility without disregarding local and
regional links.
" regard development as opportunity for providing opportunities to
the citizens.
" Capitalize on and adopt simple and innovative ideas.
The above propositions are common guiding principles which

are generally found enshrined in many modern city development
and planning documents. For example, Hong Kong government has
various development guiding documents and plans like HK-2030,
CTS and RDS where they have identified such common approaches
and project guidelines. However, just adhering to these guidelines
at the time of commissioning the development projects is not
enough and it is necessary to have a framework for revision and
regular assessment of the projects from time to time and to see
that the sustainability objectives are intact.
5.3
Hypotheses
Under the ambit of the above guiding principles, three vital
hypotheses have been identified for consideration, which are:

(4)
Land use planning and transportation developments should be

necessarily interlinked for facilitating better connectivity.
(5)
Relationship of stakeholders (Government, Public and the

Operators) needs greater emphasis for a successful hub
system.
(6)
Local
and
regional
transportation
links
need
to
be
interconnected for sustaining the hub functions of an area.

In other words, we hypothesize that if the above are met, then, the
hub transport system should work.
Hypothesis-(1)
Land use planning and transportation developments should be
necessarily interlinked for facilitating better connectivity.
Land-use Planning
&
Development
Transportation
Plan &
Developments
Fig-5.1: Interlinks of Land-use and Transportation

Compact,
transit
accessible,
pedestrian
oriented,
mixed
use
development patterns and land reuse manifest the application of the

principles of smart growth having hub transport as an integral
option
(APA,
2002).
The
connections
between
land-use
and
transportation (Figure-5.1) are considered to be central strategy

agenda in the transportation policy of various cities. However a
close look indicates that transportation and land-use are inextricably
linked to one another. Transportation policies and investments
influence development patterns and development patterns too may
influence transport arrangements (Handy Susan, 2005). Thus the
success of a hub transportation system may demand very easily
accessible physical configuration or sitting of different facilities,
residents and business centers. A compact form of city development
having facilities within walk-able or easily accessible distance can
reduce the menace of motorized transport on its own along with
bettering the overall ambiance of the area and encouraging

increased use of public transit interchanges.
Hypotheses-(2)
Relationship
of
stakeholders
(Government,
Public
and
the
Operators) needs greater emphasis for a successful hub system.
Government
Operator
Public
Fig-5.2: Relationship of Stakeholders

Any public transportation arrangement like the hub transportation
system demands better stake-holders relationships. The transport
operators should be given fair opportunities for increasing market
share and reducing operating costs whereas the common public or
commuters
demand
for
reduction
in
transport
fares
and
enhancement of reliability of travel. This is where the Government

needs to chip in with better route distribution and commuter
friendly transport fare structures. Government is required to play
the role of a just regulator for ensuring profitability of different
operators and at the same time encourage people to use public
transport
by
controlling
overall
transportation
costs.
transportation system is successful only when the transporters find

profits in running the services and the commuters find economic
benefits for using the system.
Hypothesis-(3)
Local
and
regional
transportation
links
need
to
be
interconnected for sustaining the hub functions of an area.
Regional
Local
Fig-5.3: Integration of Objectives

This is a very important consideration, failing to recognize which
while planning for a local transport arrangement may limit the
regional and neighbourhood attractiveness of the hub in a hub
transport system. Todays markets are not confined to and nor do
they cater to any specific local area or locality. Rather their
jurisdiction expands to nearby destinations and regional areas.
Having the local transport system interconnected to the regional
network creates opportunities for people staying in far off places to
come and participate in the local market thereby increasing volume
of business and sustaining the attractiveness of the hub.
For
example, North Points attractiveness and business potentials can be

augmented by having direct and less expensive connections
between the nearby mainland areas.
Thus, it is now clear that having a good transportation system
only physically present in an area will not ensure success of the
system. A host of other parameters need to be factored in to make
a
viable
hub
transportation
transportation planning,
system.
Better
land
use
and
needs of various stakeholders and local to
regional connectivity are other vital considerations for a successful

hub transport system.
Chapter VI
Research Methodology
6.1
General Approach
In chapter II (figure-2.1) the overall approach for this study is
outlined. There are three main tasks in this research study, which
are literature review, surveys, analysis and assessment. In chapter
VI, an appraisal of the public transportation system at North Point is
presented
and
few
congestion minimization
and
transport
realignment options are identified. Commuters or public preferences

are vital for designing an efficient public transportation. Recognizing
the same, this paper includes a mandate to follow, which considers
that public transport is meant for moving people and not vehicles
and cars. Thus, the central idea is to conceive a viable public
transport arrangement for North Point that should be acceptable to
the general public and good enough to attract more people using it
instead
of
information
private
on
vehicles.
commuters
This
travel
requires
behavior,
collecting
realistic
preferences
and
travelling needs by conducting research through travel surveys and

commuters interviews.
The general approach for studying the application of the hub

concept in North Point is depicted in Figure-6.1.
Fig-6.1: Work Flow for Application of the Hub Concept

The above figure shows the general work flow, linking
different tasks involved in conceiving a hub transport plan for North
Point. Initial tasks involve defining the objectives of the hub study,
reviewing existing transport arrangements and schedules and
frequencies and minimum distances of the MTR station from major
locations. Then, the existing problems as prevalent in North Point
are identified and preferences and aspirations of the day-to-day
commuters are collected through actual surveys. The above
information will provide the necessary inputs and the base to
proceed to the next task of formulating a hub transport concept for

North Point.
The bus routes will be re-arranged applying the hub
concept to reduce the total number of direct journeys to and from

North Point. A diagrammatic representation of the application of the
hub concept for North Point is shown in Figure-6.2 (a,b). This
initial plan will then be assessed for the performance and benefits it
is likely to bring and if necessary, it will be fine-tuned and modified
before finalizing as the final plan. Finally, an implementation
program for this plan will be worked out.
(b)
(a)
Fig-6.2: Diagrammatic Representation of the Hub Concept in NP

6.2
Methodology Framework
Figure-6.1 outlines the different tasks involved in this study.
Once study objectives are defined, the key tasks remaining are
review of existing transport network and problems, commuters
interview, formulation and implementation of a hub transport plan
for North Point. Of these, commuters interview is a vital job which

will have a bearing on the overall success and acceptance of the
transport plan to be conceived. The survey framework further
includes three important tasks as shown in Figure-6.3 below.
Framework
Survey Design
Data Collection
Analysis/Reporting
Fig-6.3: Survey Methodology Framework

The tasks are survey design, data collection and data analysis
and reporting. Appropriate and easy-to-answer survey questionnaire
have been designed for this study. Simple manual data logging and
collection procedures have been followed. Data analysis and
reporting have been carried out using simple statistical methods
and computer software. Designing proper survey questionnaire is
the most important task under this framework. More importantly,
the procedures and approaches for various field tasks including the
survey questionnaire and data collection process have been field
tested, verified and fine-tuned by undertaking field trials before
commencement of the main interview. The following sections
describe the different tasks and activities.
6.3
Interview
A survey is a system for collecting information to describe the
characteristics or attitudes of a particular group of individuals, in

this case, the public transport commuters. In the design phase of
the interview, data needs have been identified in consideration of
the overall objectives of the study.
It
was
decided
to
conduct
the
interview
through
questionnaire for the duration of two weeks (14 days). The

questionnaire (Annexure-I) has been designed to be easy and
quick to complete using a tick-box style wherever possible, but
space is also provided for additional comments, where relevant. The
format has been intentionally kept anonymous and there is no need
for collection of any personnel data. The main control point for the
interview is the North Point District. The questionnaire has been
designed to collect information and data range from journey origin
and destination to transport costs, travel time and other preferences
of the commuters. This interview was done in the form of face-toface (in person) interview and the types of information include:
Views of the respondent about the existing transport system
Travel characteristics/patterns
Preferences or opinions/suggestions
Further information and details regarding conduct of the interview
and the analysis of survey results are covered in Chapter VII.
6.4
Data Collection Procedure and Analysis

Another key task in the interview is data collection. Selection
of an appropriate mode requires careful consideration of many

factors, the important one of which includes the coverage of the
target population. While the method of data collection may be
largely dictated by the population coverage and sample frame, other
common determinants include survey costs, response rates, and
data quality. Mode selection can also be influenced by the
complexity and length of the interview and the actual needs. In this
study, the data collection mode selected is in-person mode (face-toface) giving top priority to response rate and data quality (Sharp, et
al., 2001). In-person data collection typically yields the most
complete coverage, achieves the highest response rate, and
produces the best quality data.
6.5
Interpretation and Application of Results and Findings

Interpretation of interview results and application of the
findings are another important task in the interview. Interpretation

needs caution and particularly when the survey response is poor.
In this study, simple mathematical comparisons have been
employed where outputs are mostly in the form of percentage,
averages and counts. Special care has been taken here not to
generalize the findings to the whole group of respondents rather,
the target is to specify whom the data and results/findings
represent. The central approach adopted in this study is to give as

much specific information about the demographic and other
characteristics of the respondents. To ensure data quality, the
survey data has been screened for outliers and any mistakes in
data logging during the surveys.
Chapter VII
7.1
Conduct of Interview
This chapter outlines the results and findings of the field visits and
interview carried out in North Point. An interview program for a
period of two weeks was planned and the various activities involved
are shown in Table-7.1 below.
Table-7.1: Details of Survey
Items
Items
Duration
Duration
Type/Process
Type/Process
Samples
Samples
Refusal Rate
Refusal Rate
Survey Locations
Survey Locations
Time of Surveys
Time of Surveys
Aids/Equipments Used
Aids/Equipments Used
Data Processing
Data Processing
7.2
Descriptions
Descriptions
14 Days (two weeks).
14 Days (two weeks).
Face-to-Face interviews with commuters using
Face-to-Face interviews with commuters using
simple tick-box type questionnaire.
simple tick-box type questionnaire.
360 Commuters.
360 Commuters.
30%
30%
North Point MTR Station, North Point Ferry Pier
North Point MTR Station, North Point Ferry Pier
Bus Terminus, Quarry Bay, Wanchai & Chaiwan
Bus Terminus, Quarry Bay, Wanchai & Chaiwan
MTR Station.
MTR Station.
7.30-10.30 AM & 16.30-19.30 PM.
7.30-10.30 AM & 16.30-19.30 PM.
Documentation & writing aids, camera, etc.
Documentation & writing aids, camera, etc.
By computer/simple statistical software.
By computer/simple statistical software.
In course of the field work, the North Point was visited to
obtain a first-hand impression of the existing traffic scenario and

environment. Common problems observed during the peak-hours
include severe congestion, on-road vehicle emissions and traffic
noise. All these problems are hampering the overall attractiveness

and livability of the area. The inner area is dominated by motorized
transport and non-motorized modes like walking and cycling which
are risky as the area is prone to accidents, both minor and fatal
(see Figure-7.3). Traffic flow data, road-side air quality status and
noise levels on major roads linked to NP were gathered to study the
current situation. Air quality data were taken from the road-side
monitoring stations in order to capture traffic related pollution.
Traffic Flows and Congestion: There was an increase in traffic
flows on Hong Kong Island. Traffic flows across the External Cordon
(urban area boundary) and those across the Internal Cordon
(enclosing
Central
District)
increased
by
2.8%
and
6.7%
respectively within several year (EPD-2005). Traffic flows at the

eastern end of Central District and the rest of Hong Kong Island
increased by 4.4% and 8.0% respectively. Total licensed vehicle
population in March 2006 is 544089, a 2% increase from that of
2005. Flow of cross-boundary vehicles increased by 5.2% in 2004
compared to 2005 (EPD-2005) which generate more traffic on the
existing road network.
Traffic congestion appears to be a very chronic problem in NP.
Huge increase in traffic volume and transport demands under
minimal extension of road length (Figure-7.1) naturally overcrowd
and congest the main approaches to North Point. A view of traffic

congestion in NP is shown in Figure-7.2.
Fig-7.1: Growth in Transport Patronage and Road Length
Source: HKTD
Fig-7.2: Traffic Condition in a major street of NP

Road Accidents: Road accidents are on the rise in Hong Kong.
Particularly, dominance of motorized traffic in the inner city areas
and absence of proper facilities for pedestrians and non-motorized
transport, contribute to accidents. Figure-7.3 shows the trends of
total accidents on Hong Kong roads. As observed and verified from
the records of the Transport Department, about 34 accidents (26

minor and 8 fatal) were reported during the survey period (14 days)
on Hong Kong Island (HKTD, 2006) and the majority of those took
place in North Point.
Source: HKTD
Fig-7.3: Rise in Total Road Accidents in Hong Kong

Air Pollution: Road level emission from vehicular traffic is also a
big problem in North Point. Outdoor air quality, specifically adjacent
to road sides, is deteriorating. Except SO2 and CO, all other
pollutants (NO2, TSP, RSPM) exceed the air quality objective (AQO)
(Figure-7.4), posing serious health threats (EPD-2005).
2003
2004
2005
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
SO2
NO2
TSP
RSPM
CO (x100)
Source: Annual AQ Statistics-2005.
Fig-7.4: Road-side Air Quality Trends in North Point

The latest Air Pollution Index (API) for the three major road-side
stations with one in Causeway Bay close to NP gives a clear picture
of the current problems of air pollution in Hong Kong. As
represented in Figure-7.5, over 87% of the period in March, 2006,
North Point recorded high levels of air pollution (HK-EPD, 2006).
Thus, North Point requires immediate air pollution mitigation
measures.
ide Stations
Station
Causeway Bay
Central
Mong Kok
Low
(0-25)
0
0
0
Distribution of Hourly API (Number of Hours)

Medium
High
Very High
Severe
(26-50)
(51-100)
(101-200)
(201-500)
25
693
26
0
83
563
41
0
95
636
11
0
Distribution of Hourly API for Roadside Stations for the period March 2006
Legend
API
Percentage
Severe (201-500)
Very High (101-200)
High (51-100)
Medium (26-50)
Low (0-25)
0.00
3.59
87.07
9.34
0.00
Source: HK-EPD,2006.
Fig-7.5: Air Pollution Index (API) For NP, March 2006

Traffic Noise: Traffic noise is another nuisance in Hong Kong and
as per government estimates, traffic noise affects more than one
million people in Hong Kong (EPD, 2005). In areas like North Point;
it doesnt require any instrument to measure as the chaotic noise of
peak hour traffic is loud enough, easily crossing the stipulated limit
of 70 dB(A) (Noise Exposure Statistics, 2005). Most of the travellers
interviewed also expressed that traffic noise is a big problem in
North Point. A good indicator of the problems of traffic noise in Hong
Kong is the rising number of public complaints as depicted in
Figure-7.6 below.
Complaints received by the EPD
Complaints received by the Police
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2003
2004
2005
Source: Noise Exposure Statistics, 2005.
Fig-7.6: Traffic Noise Complaints Handled by EPD and Police

Other Observations: The problems of air pollution, noise and
congestion as highlighted above are the most prominent ones.
Beside these, there are some other observations which also need to
be considered while formulating any transportation plan for North

Point. These are:
" The MTR/trains in the existing Island-line are often seen crowded,
already attaining full passenger carrying capacity.
" Traffic management, pedestrianiation and provisions for nonmotorized transportation are lacking or not adequate in NP.
" The existing MTR station needs to be more user-friendly.
" The nearby bus terminus (ferry pier) lacks proper passenger
facilities. There is no shelter or protection for waiting passengers
from scorching sun or rains. The passage connecting the MTR
station and the bus terminus is also open making it difficult to
walk through during rainy seasons.
-
Some direction signs and other information display systems are

not working or damaged.
7.3
Results of Interview
The interview was conducted for a duration of two weeks (14
days), through questionnaires and face-to-face interaction with the

commuters. The questionnaire was designed to be easy and quick
to complete using a tick-box style wherever possible. Space is
provided
for
additional
comments,
where
relevant.
The
questionnaire format used is enclosed as Annexure-1. In keeping

with Hong Kongs recent requirements on collection and disclosure
of personnel information and details, the questionnaire is kept
anonymous and there is no need for collection of any personnel
data. Various information and data including journey details,

transport costs and fares, origin and destination points and travel
time are included in this interview.
The results of the interview reveal some interesting facts.
Residents of Chai Wan (22%) are the most dominant travellers to
North Point, followed by Quarry Bay & Wan Chai (19% each) and
Kowloon (15%). The living places of the respondents are shown in
Figure-7.7.
New Territories
6%
Kowloon
15%
Morth Point
Estate (Pier)
9%
Quarry Bay
19%
Shau Kei Wan

5%
Central
1%
Chai Wan
22%
Wan Chai
19%
Causeway Bay
1%
Fortress Hill
3%
Fig-7.7: Living Places of Respondents

Figure-7.8 below, gives the percentage of respondents who travel
to other places, leaving their place of stay or residence at least for
more than one day in a week.
No
9%
Yes
91%
Fig-7.8: People traveling to other places for more than 1 day

68% of the respondents are office goers travelling 5 days a week.
There are 15% respondents who travel for 6 days, 2% travel for 4
days a week, 1% for 3 days and 1% for 1 day. 9% of the
respondents are occasional travellers as shown in Figure-7.9.
1day
1%
2days
4%
3days
1%
oc c assional
travellers
9%
6days
15%
4days
2%
5days
68%
Fig-7.9: Number of days (frequency) Respondents travelling

As depicted in Figure-7.10, trip to work is clearly the most
dominant purpose for traveling followed by trip to school.
school trips
29%
shopping
6%
business
3%
others
purposes
9%
work trips
52%
visiting
relatives
1%
Fig-7.10: Purpose of Trips of Respondents

As expected, MTR is to be the most favored transport mode and as
many as 44% of the interviewed population use MTR followed by
franchised bus (28%). Only 3% of the respondents preferred to use
private cars (Figure-7.11) indicating a very high public transport
patronage.
Others (red
minibus+taxis
+ferry,etc.)
12%
MTR
44%
Private Cars
3%
KCRC
1%
NonFranchised Franchised
Bus
Bus
3%
28%
Tram
6%
Green Minibus
3%
Fig-7.11: Travel Modes of Respondents

Further, Figures-7.12, 7.13 and 7.14 outline the reasons or
preferences for using MTR and franchised bus respectively.
trustworthy/reliable
19%
convenient
19%
cheap
4%
safe
1%
no other alternatives
1%
less interchange
4%
promotion
2%
comfortable
7%
quick
43%
Fig-7.12: Reasons for Taking MTR
LessInterchanges
14%
Safe
1%
Trustworthy
2%
Convinient
12%
Comfortable
6%
Cheep
26%
Quick
14%
NoAlternatives
25%
Fig-7.13: Reasons for Taking Bus

not reliable
1%
many
interchanges
Fig-9: Use of Interchange.
7%
uncomforatble
9%
lack of feeder
services
4%
station not
convenient
36%
250
200
150
time-taking/slow
100
17%
50
0
lack of
promotion
1%
Use Interchanges
expensive No-response
No Interchange Used
25%
Fig-7.14: Reasons for not using MTR

7.4
Observation of Interview
The results of the interview reflect a good deal of information,
pertaining to the public transport arrangements at North Point. The

results help identify some real-life transport characteristics and
travel behaviors and preferences of the commuting public. More
Importantly, the results reveal some limitations and opportunities,

which
may
provide
valuable
inputs
to
transportation
policy
initiatives of Hong Kong. Some of the important findings are

outlined below:
-
North Point is a converging point for travellers even from far

way cross-harbor places like Kowloon and the NT.
Most of the trips in working days are for work and school.
MTR is the most widely preferred mode of travel followed by

franchised buses. Other transport modes like ferries and
trams do not have much demand.
MTR is preferred for being quick (43%) and reliable (19%).

However, inconvenient station locations (36%) and expensive
MTR fares (25%) are the main reasons for not using MTR.
Cheap tickets, no alternative options and direct journeys are

the main reasons for using bus by many commuters.
Thus, there are scopes for improving the public transport system
for North Point to tackle the problems of congestion, noise and
emissions. Better planning and rearrangement of the bus and
train networks and taking steps for increasing the use of
interchanges may be a solution in the right direction.
Chapter VIII
Interpretation and Application of Findings
8.1
Current Performance of Transport Hub Role by North

Point
Having reviewed and surveyed the status of North Points
public transportation system (see Chapters IV and VII), sufficient

information and details are now available for an overall review of
the transport situation in North Point. They can be analyzed and
scaled against the goals and objectives of any new plans or ideas to
see how North Point, as a whole, fits into the requirements of the
new plan applying the hub concept. The current performance of
North Points transport hub roles can be assessed by reviewing how
well North Point is acting under the following indicators (RTTP, SE
England):
Political and administrative significance
Historical and cultural significance
Commercial and economic significance and prospects
Population and settlements profiles
Strategic interchange opportunities
Proximities of/to major ports, airports, rail terminals
Future growth potentials
In
assessing
NP
under
the
consideration
of
the
generic
characteristics of a hub location and the above indicators, it can be
said that North Point is performing and/or fairly equipped to

perform the anticipated roles of a transport hub. Along with the rich
historical and cultural base, North Point has the required political
attention from the administration for being a prosperous place in
Hong Kong and being a strategically important location (HK-2030).
This gives it a distinct edge. For long, NP has an efficient
communication network. But off late, accelerated growth and
resettlement of population and mounting pressures for transport,
have seen North Point exhibiting the menacing side-effects of rapid
urbanization. The results of the interview also support that North
Point is now facing the problems of congestion, noise and road-level
emissions, threatening the overall sustainability of the area. As per
the findings of the interview highlighted in Chapter VII, ever
increasing transport demands and the limitations of extensions of
road length lead to the inevitable problems of traffic congestion
(Figure-7.1 and 7.2). The air quality in the vicinity of major
streets of NP exceeds the stipulated limits for NO2, TSP & RSPM as
shown in Figure-7.4 and 7.5 (Chapter VII). Traffic noise is also a
common problem in North Point. Public complaints for traffic noise
are increasing over the years (Figure-7.6). These problematic
symptoms need be arrested as soon as possible otherwise North
Points ability for performing the hub functions may be affected.
8.2
Identification of Inadequacies in Performance by North

Point
A hub should characteristically have the features needed for
ensuring vitality and viability of towns and local centers it surrounds.

The policy for creating hubs should not alter or discourage any other
previously conceived policy parameters and goals. A hub is required
to encourage sustainable development patterns and activities and
imbibe a feeling for the commuters to consider that all connections,
strategic facilities and destinations are well within reach and are
conveniently approachable. The existence of such specific enabling
characters or the lack of them, in North Point cannot be identified
just by scanning the transport networks and developments of North
Point. This requires real-life investigation of the area and interaction
with the general public and commuters there through interview.
Any
successful
hub
should
have
adequate
options
for
improving the overall level of accessibility to services and facilities.

Consideration of public preferences and travel demands is a must
for the successful application of the hub concept in a public
transportation system (Hine and Scott, 2000). In identifying the
adequacies or inadequacies in the performance of hub functions and
roles by North Point, the transport situation may be assessed
against the following characteristics and realities of a typical hub
transport arrangement. Generally, a good hub transportation system
exhibits
relatively small travel distance between successive points,
faster services and attractive transit arrangements,
efficient
display
services
systems,
and
user-friendly
automatic
automatic
identification
and
information
tracking
of
vehicles and real-time route information; and
well designed transit facilities with commuter convenient utility

stores and food courts.
Investigating the situation in North Point based on the above

parameters, the following inadequacies are observed:
" Large numbers of buses contribute to congestion particularly in
inner North Point, resulting in exceedingly slow bus journeys.
" The available MTR network connecting North Point have reached
its full passenger capacity and as such overcrowding is not
uncommon during peak hours (see observations in Chapter VII).
" Proper route information is not available and direction signs or
indications are either not available or misleading or inaccurate
(see Chapter VII).
" Passenger transit facilities are not adequate.
" The whole approach from MTR station to the bus terminus is not
weather-protected,
causing
problems
for
travellers
during
summers and rainy seasons.

" The nearby ferry pier bus terminus lacks passenger waiting
facilities as observed during the field visits, making crowding a
common problem.
" The overall environment is not favorable and not safe for walking
and non-motorized transport.
The above deficiencies affect the overall attractiveness of North
Point. However, there remain scopes for improvements following
simple management measures.
8.3
Suggestions for Improvements to Performance

The overall situation in North Point can be improved following
some simple management and route rationalization measures in the

short-term
and
undertaking
some
far-sighted
transport
restructuring initiatives in the medium to long term. Along with the

hub transport plan, an improvement package for North Point is
suggested below:
Suggested Options:
Rationalizing Bus routes connecting and passing through
North Point applying the hub concept.
-
A total of 108 bus trips belonging to 28 different routes per

day (including Island, Cross-harbour and Airport routes) have
been identified for termination at NP and rationalization of
services to and from NP applying the hub concept. A list of
these routes is included in Annexure-II. These buses will not
be allowed to enter NP, instead these will be taken off and
terminated
at
nearby
metro
stations
or
bus-to-bus
interchanges (perhaps Admiralty Centre where has facility to
serve on this purpose). Doing this will reduce the number of

direct bus services connecting to or passing by North Point.
Along with reduction in congestion, this is also expected to
reduce total on-road emissions and traffic noise.
-
Buses will feed passengers to the railways (MTR), perhaps in

Admiralty Centre, allowing MTR to transport passengers
through the congested corridors.
Buses will serve locations having no railways connections.

There will be fewer buses in the congested corridors.
This will relive some pressures on the road network and the
excess buses identified can be diverted and put in use in the
inadequately connected areas.
Re-arrange bus franchises

-
Managing
and
regulating
the
bus
franchises
by
the
government is a good option to maintain service quality and

healthy
competition
between
different
franchised
bus
operators. The government may choose different operators

and rationally distribute the routes to them with the objective
of
enhancing
service
quality
and
maintaining
healthy
competitions between different operators. Operators should

find profitability in the routes they operate and the commuters
should find better quality and reliable services.
Short term Option

Implementation of the above plan is expected to increase
passenger flow for the railways. In particular, the MTR-Island line
will be required to accommodate the extra passengers who will
switch over from bus journeys to the railways. Since MTR cannot
accommodate all anticipated passengers, then one alternative
option may be to introduce complementary express bus services
connecting NP to some popular destinations. The express bus routes
identified should directly connect North Point with destinations like
Kowloon, New Territories, Airport and other areas as listed in
Annexure-II. This plan will then relieve MTR of the burden of some
excess passengers.
Long-Term Option
A long-term option which can be considered is building a 2nd
MTR Island Line. This is because the existing MTR-Island line, is
already running to its full capacity. The government should plan for
constructing a 2nd Island-line anticipating the growing patronage of
this section of the railway network.
Implementation Program
Introduction of a hub transportation system cannot be all of a
sudden and at a single go as commuters may not like to change
their travel arrangement too suddenly or too frequently and a well
thoughtout and integrated overall plan must be worked out over a
period of time. The overall plan should be divided into different

packages for implementation. An example is shown below:
Table-8.1: Implementation Program of the Hub Transport Plan
Packages
Pre-plan
Plans
Extensive
Period
consultation
with
the Half year
public, campaigning and making the

public aware about the plan.
Package-I
Termination and truncation of Island Within three

bus-routes:
SL/No.
to
8 months after
(Annexure-II).
Package-II
the pre-plan
Rationalization of Island bus-routes: Within two

SL/No. 9 to 15 (Annexure-II).
months after
Package-I
Package-III
Rationalization
of
Cross-harbour Within two
routes: SL/No. 6 to 23 (Annexure- Months after

II).
Package-IV
Package-II
Rationalization of AirPort bus routes Within one

Island bus-routes: SL/No. 24 to 28 Month after
Post-plan
(Annexure-II).
Package-III
Regular monitoring and reviewing.
Continuous
after
Package-
IV
8.4
Discussion on Implementability of Improvements

Implementation
suggested
above
of
does
a
not
hub
transport
impose
plan
financial
like
burden
the
one
on
the
government but the Governments initiatives are very critical as
they may effect all stakeholders and specially the commuters, if not
rightly
initiated
and
implemented.
Rigorous
discussions,
pre-
planning and public consultations are a must for a successful hub

transport system. Many issues need to be factored in and
adequately addressed before implementing such improvements,
some of which are:
-
Hub transport literally means loss of direct connections and

passengers may not like break-up or halt journeys as
reflected in the interviews (Chapter VII). Such plan thus
requires involving general public into the planning process.
Better
transit
facilities
and
journey
information
display
systems are needed for passengers. Many passengers pointed

out this shortcoming during the interviews (Chapter VII).
-
Incentives and fare discounts may also be required for

attracting passengers. As many as 25% of the passengers in
North Point find MTR to be an expensive option (Fig-7.14,
Chapter VII) and thus giving discounts makes sense.
Regarding the alternative option of providing express bus

services to popular destinations like Kowloon Bay, Tuen Mun, Bay
View Garden and other places (Annexure-II), it may be noted that
this is a way out when the existing MTR line reaches its full carrying
capacity. Properly identified far away cross-harbour destinations
may then be connected by express buses to relieve the MTR.

Construction of a 2nd MTR Island-Line is a possible long-term option.
But, this is a very expensive option and appears to be a sensible
choice for the long term future. However, despite any odds, Hong
Kong
appears
to
be
one
of
the
most
befitting
places
for
commissioning and implementing any additional mass MTR lines as

it has one of the highest rider-ship or patronage for public
transportation. Higher public transport usage, along with the
challenges, also provides the scope for balancing profitability of the
operators and sustaining smooth operation.
8.5
Perceived Benefits of Implementation

Implementation of the proposed hub transportation plan is
expected to reduce congestion, emissions and noise in North Point.

The plan is expected to benefit all the stakeholders involvedpassengers, railway, bus and other operators and the government
as well. Some of the benefits that could be attributed to successful
implementation of the proposed transport plan include-
Passengers: Though passengers will miss direct bus connections,

the overall benefits of the plan will outweigh this disadvantage by
far. Commuters are expected to get a reliable, quality assured and
pocket-friendly transportation system. Most importantly, passengers
can hope for a better and healthy life on account of the good
environment to be brought about by this new plan.
Railways Operators: Introduction of this plan will be a boon for

the train operators, especially the MTR Island-line as this will
encourage increased flow of passengers to the MTR network. Rail
acting as the backbone mass carrier under this proposed plan will
find automatic increase in patronage throughout. This should also
see filling-up of unutilized railway capacity in the sections like
NT/NWNT. Increase in patronage in-turn should help railways
sustain profitability and service quality. Moreover, this will enable
railway
authorities
to
augment
infrastructures
and
bring
in
innovations in services without hiking passenger fares which,

otherwise may become an unpopular move. However, this plan may
also lead to oversupply of passengers to the MTR Island-line in
particular, crowding the trains and stations over time. This
oversupply can be managed by introducing complementary express
bus services to popular destinations and importantly, by having farsighted plan for implementing a 2nd MTR-Island line as proposed.
Bus and Other Transport Operators: Bus operators, specially the

franchised ones, in general may find this plan cutting down their
operational jurisdictions and profitability by terminating the direct
point-to-point routes which, happen to be their most profitable

routes. To address this problem, the Government may have to
balance route distribution, franchise selection and redeployment of
bus services, mixing profitable and non-profitable routes amongst
various operators. Almost all plans in Hong Kong such as the CTS-3,
RDS-2, KH-2030 and the like, stress that a balanced approach
should be adopted. Similarly, other operators running taxi and
public light bus services may also find the increase in railway
patronage eating up their profits and competitiveness.
The Government: The government has to play the role of a good

regulator and custodian of interests of all other stakeholders
involved, including the general public. As such any unjust or biased
move by the government will invite criticisms. This will impact on
its image on many fronts. The government has to manage the
implementation of the plan and help build consensus and support in
favour of the plan. Inefficient management will affect its political
base, social mandate and above all find itself losing trust of the
general public.
Thus, all players involved in the transportation sector will
benefit if the proposed plan is implemented successfully and the one
who will not participate actively in this initiative may end up losing
finally. It is anticipated that travel pattern and habits of commuters
would take a longer period to settle down and as such a progressive

phase-in approach is required to be adopted for successful
implementation of this hub transport plan.
8.6
Possible Future Developments for other Districts

This study offers some important lessons which other Districts
in Hong Kong may consider while making plans for their public
transportation systems. The study indicates that a hub transport
system may be a viable option for North Point and provided
important stake-holder specific factors like profitability of franchised
bus and other transport operators, preferences and affordability of
the general commuters and governments will for creating a
sustainable public transport system are rationally considered in the
planning process. Other districts can take motivation from the fact
that this hub transport plan is perhaps the most cost-effective and
possibly the least lead-time consuming initiative that can be thought
of for the short term option. Another important lesson is that
involvement of the general public in the planning process is more
than just a formality. Other districts should consider public
participation for getting planning inputs and develop the plan along
with the public from the very initial stages of the initiative. District
authorities should canvass, campaign and project such transport
plans as a multi-utility initiative, reducing congestion, noise and
improving air quality and not merely just as a de-congestion

measure.
Chapter IX
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
9.1
Summary
Problem of congestion, deteriorating air quality and traffic
noise are intensifying in many cities around the world. Even cities
like Hong Kong, having one of the worlds best transportation
systems in place, are not spared. Efforts for eradicating and tackling
these problems lead to the emergence of an innovative transport
planning concept commonly known as the hub concept. This
research is aimed at appraising the application of the hub concept
in tackling the above problems in North Point, Hong Kong.
The existing public transport arrangements in North Point
have been reviewed and assessed for identifying the real problem,
the deficiencies and the scopes for improvement of the current
situation. Views and perceptions of the commuters were also
gathered through interviews and used as inputs while drawing the
plan based on the hub concept.
The findings indicate that North
Point is a befitting hub center and the present transport problems

can
be
minimized
by
implementing
mixed
pattern
of
transportation in line with the hub concept. Judicious rationalizing of

bus routes along with refurbishments of transport facilities like
information display, directional markers and interchange information,
can go a long way to relieving the transport problems in North Point.
Besides reducing congestion, improving road-side air quality and

minimizing traffic noise, proper implementation of a hub transport
plan will also enhance livability and overall environment of North
Point. The study finally advocates a substantial feeder role along
with few strategically identified express routes for buses with
railways (MTR) playing the role of the transport backbone or mass
carrier.
9.2
Conclusions
The study finds that transportation related problems in the
North Point are intensifying over the years. Huge growth in

demands for public transport, large numbers of buses entering the
city centre, inadequate traffic management practices and lack of
provisions for walking and non-motorized transport have collectively
contributed to severe problems of traffic congestion, road-level
emissions and the nuisance of traffic noise as highlighted in
Chapter VII. This situation is hampering the overall sustainability
and attractiveness of North Point which happens to be a strategic
centre of activity on Hong Kong Island. The present situation
demands immediate interventions for decongesting and managing
the transport system in North Point. Applying the hub concept for
rearranging North Points transport network appears to be a viable
option for tackling the transport problems. In line with the hub
concept, initially, it is suggested to cut off some bus services in the
inner NP areas and concentrate them on routes to and from MTR /

KCRC stations and on routes where there are no railways. The final
option identified is characterized by a co-operation between rail and
bus, rather than a competition between the two. There will be much
more emphasis on transporting passengers to and from the rail
system and bus will serve locations that are not connected to the
railway system. This will reduce the number of bus kilometres (and
hence buses) and relieve the road network. More pressure will be
put on the rail network under this plan and travellers may have to
transfer from bus to rail (and maybe to bus again) rather than
travelling by bus with no transfers. The overall transportation plan
proposed in this report may be best described as a mix between the
present network and a hub transport arrangement. This approach
will reduce the number of bus routes but still has good chances of
finding
public
acceptance
as
overall
transportation
efficiency,
comfort and convenience will increase since there will be some

direct express bus connections in keeping with the aspirations of the
commuters. Another long-term option for constructing a 2nd MTR
Island-Line has also been suggested in this study. This may be an
automatic choice in the long-run to keep intact the sustainability of
public transportation networks in the North Point area. Finally, the
study firmly indicates the need for integrated and sustainable public
transportation system for Hong Kong. The lesson emerging out of
this research is that successful transport solutions should be the

result of local needs and local pressures and should respect local
values. Importantly, the planning process should care to include
sufficient
public
outreach
and
participation
for
conceiving
successful public transportation plan. Importantly, it may be noted

that introduction of a hub transport system all on a sudden will not
be possible. Hong Kong society is not likely to accept too high a
decrease in direct connections and suddenly having to transfer at
rail stations. Considering all these issues, the best way to
implement
the
proposed
plan
is
to
follow
progressive
implementation programme phasing-in the plan in separate sections

or parts one after the other instead of introducing it at a single go.
9.3
Recommendations
This study highlighted some issues and needs which require
special consideration in order to frame a feasible and successful

transport plan. The main transport solution suggested here is a busMTR mixed transport system based on the hub concept. Going by
the findings and lessons learnt in course of this study, the following
points are recommended:
" Truly conventional transport system like the hub & spokes
system may not be acceptable in reality and thus, the usual
plans may be required to be modified with innovative concepts
like the mixed or hybrid systems.
" Transportation planning should include full participation of all

communities
and
groups
impacted
by
the
transportation
infrastructure.
" Transport planning should not be treated as an individual
initiative and practically it should include transportation and
land-use planning.
" Some sustainable transport solutions may be very expensive, so
all opportunities for private and public funding should be kept
open.
" Better transit facilities and passenger information systems should
be given top priority in a hub transport network.
Under any circumstances transportation planning and review

should not be a one time effort. There needs to be a compulsory
mandate for review and renewal of the existing transport plans and
arrangements. It may be noted that designing an efficient transport
network is a challenge but sustaining and maintaining the same is a
greater challenge.
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LIST OF TABLES
Table-4.1: Present & Future Scenarios of Some Parameters
Table-7.1: Details of Survey/Interview
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure-2.1: Study Approach & Tasks
Fig-3.1: Transportation as Derived Demand

Fig-3.2: Transportation System in Concepts
Fig-3.3: Point-to-Point vs. Hub & Spoke Systems
Fig-3.4: COMAIR Air Transport Network
Fig-3.5: Bagota Transformations (Before & After)
Fig-3.6: The Leeward Oahu Network (Honolulu)
Fig-3.7: The Chicago Hub Network
Fig-3.8: The Empire & Northeast Corridors
Fig-3.9: The Toronto Connections
Fig-3.10: London Traffic Scenarios (Before & After)
Fig-3.11: Transportation System Analysis Framework
Figure-4.1: Modal Share of Passenger Trips in Hong Kong

Fig-4.2: Railways Network in Hong Kong (MTR & KCRC)
Fig-4.3: The MTR Network in Hong Kong

Fig-4.4: The KCRC Rail Network
Fig-4.5: The Appraisal Process
Fig-4.6: Hong Kong North Point Area (Case Study Site)
Fig-4.7: The North Point MTR Station (Schematics)
Fig-4.8: New MTR Interchange Arrangements
Fig-4.9(a&b): Indicative Representation of the Hub Concept
Fig-5.1: Interlinks of Land-use & Transportation
Fig-5.2: Relationship of Stakeholders
Fig-5.3: Integration of Objectives
Fig-6.1: Work Flow for Application of the Hub Concept

Fig-6.2: Diagrammatic Representation of the Hub Concept in NP
Fig-6.3: Survey Methodology Framework
Fig-7.1: Living Places of the Respondents

Fig-7.2: People traveling to other places for more than 1 day
Fig-7.3: Number of days (frequency) Respondents going out
Fig-7.4: Purpose of Trips of Respondents
Fig-7.5: Travel Modes of Respondents
Fig-7.6: Reasons for Taking MTR
Fig-7.7: Reasons for Taking Bus
Fig-7.8: Respondents not using MTR, Reasons
ANNEXURES
Annexure-I: Survey Questionnaire
Annexure-II: Bus Routes Rationalization Scheme for North Point
Annexure-I
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
[I am a final year student of Hong Kong University, Master of Art in Transport
Planning and Policy and I have taken up a study to assess the user-friendliness
of public transports available in the Hong Kong Island. Public perception is the
key to identifying the gaps and scopes for further improvements in any existing
transportation set-up and specifically aiming to get valuable inputs from you
esteemed commuters, I have planned to carry out this survey. You are
requested to spare few minutes from your busy schedules in expressing your
views and perceptions regarding Hong Kongs public transportation facilities as
per the following questionnaire. Inputs from your end shall be the fundamental
components of my study which I earnestly seek for and also intend to
acknowledge duly].
Part I Traveling Behavior

1. Select the place/area where you live in (please select the most
representative one, if not listed below then write the name)?
North Point Estate (Pier)
Quarry Bay
Chai Wan
Fortress Hill
Causeway Bay
Wan Chai
Admiralty
Central
Victoria Park
Shau Kei Wan
New Territories
Kowloon
Other, Name: ..
2. Do you travel to other place or area at least for one day in a week
(please below)? Select the number of day(s) per week you travel to
that place?
[If Yes then continue; If No then discontinue & Thank you]
Yes
Number of days: 1
No
,2
,3
,4
,5
,6
,7
3. Which area/place do you travel to (please below)?

Name of the place/area: ...........................
4. What is your main purpose of visit?
Work Trips
School Trips
Business Trips
Others.
Shopping/Recreation
5. What kind(s) of transportation mode you preferably use for the trip to
that place? (Please all the modes you use in the trip).
MTR
Red Minibus
Private Car
Tram
Green Minibus
Taxi
Franchised Bus
Non-Franchised Bus (Resident bus)
Ferry
Others.
6. Why do you use the above transport mode/s (please below & rank
the causes as 1,2,3.. in place of the blanks [] starting with 1 as the
main reason for you)?
Convenient....
Cheap.
No
Other
Alternatives.
Promotion.
Quick.
Any
Other:.
Comfortable.
Less Interchange.
Safe.
Trustworthy/Reliable.
7. In case you do not use MTR, please state the reason(s) for not using
this mode?
[If you already use MTR then please skip this question]
Station not convenient
Expensive
Lack of promotion
Time-taking/slow
Uncomfortable
Many Interchanges
Not Safe
Not Reliable
Lack of Feeder Services
Any Other:
8. What is the approximate costs and duration of your journey per day?
(Add fares of all transport modes you use & in duration also include
waiting time at interchanges, if any).
Total one-way transport cost/day
: ..
Total duration including waiting
: ..
9. Do you need to use any interchange for reaching the destination? If

yes, mention the type, name and waiting time.
I use Interchange
I do not use Interchange
Interchange Name:
Waiting Time: min
Interchange Type:
Bus-Bus-Interchange (BBI)
Bus-Rail-Interchange (BRI)
Other .
10. If you are given to travel to your destination by using MTR as an option,
will it take you faster or slower to your same destination compared to
the option you presently use? Can you approximately guess the time
difference?
I am already using MTR
I am using bus
MTR reaches faster by
: mins
MTR reaches slower by
: mins
Part II The following information is needed to help us to analyze

the results. Please click over the options applicable for you and
fill the blanks).
11.
For making a change in your travel mode, how much reduction in fares
do you want from the MTR if it is comparatively slower then your
present option and otherwise how much extra fare you are willing to
pay if MTR is faster?
12.
A faster MTR may increase fare by
: .HK$
A slower MTR should reduce fare by
: .HK$
Along with reduction in fare, what other three measures will attract
you to use MTR? (Rank only three as 1,2 & 3).
Increase fare concessions
: Rank. ..
Enhance Feeder services
: Rank. ..
Enhance Customer service
: Rank. ..
Enhance Train service
: Rank. ..
Enhance Interchange User-friendliness : Rank. ..

Increase Promotions & information displays
13.
Please
complete
the
following
describing
: Rank. ..
your
journey
to
the
destination? (Just over the options applicable for you and fill the
blanks).
Starting
from
my
place
of
stay/residence,
(walk/
Take
bus/MTR/Other modes: .) for .. (mins) to the nearest

(Interchange/Bus Terminus/MTR Station/Other: ) whose name
is . and wait there for .. (mins) and take another
(Bus/MTR/Other
modes:
.)
whose
(route
no./train
no./identification) is .. and travel for .. (mins) to get down

at and from there I again (walk/ Take a bus/Other
modes: .) for .. (mins) to reach my office/destination.
14.
What is your impression regarding the promotions, time-schedules

displays, journey comforts and overall customer services offered by the
bus companies as well by the MTR?
Better promotions
Bus
MTR
15.
Better time-schedules displays
Bus
MTR
Better journey comforts
Bus
MTR
Better customer services
Bus
MTR
Do you know about the following government initiatives? (Please the

ones you have heard of).
Hong Kong has formulated a vision called HK2030 which seeks to
develop Hong Kong as the world city by initiating all round
development including transport infrastructures.
Hong Kong has decided to keep pace with the developments and
derive advantage for its proximity to the mainland.
There is plan for making Hong Kong a leading tourist destination.
I have not heard about any of the above.
16.
What is your perception on the issues of public transportation?

On-road transports also increase congestions and pollution.
Private vehicles/cars should not be encouraged as they contribute
to congestion and pollution.
Better public transport system is a must for development of a place.
Increasing demands for transports can be met by increasing the
supply of transport vehicles.
Increasing demands for transports can be best met by organizing,
aligning and prioritizing various transport modes based on the
accessibility and location of the areas where we live in.
I am not sure and I want to skip this question.
Thank you for participating in this survey!
Annexure-II
Bus Routes Rationalization Scheme for North Point
SL
Routes
Destinations
Buses
Island Routes
1
5/5B
Causeway
(Whitfield 2 buses
Bay
Road)- Kennedy Town

2
5P/5X
Kennedy Town- Wan Chai 2 buses

Ferry
6/6A/6X
Central (Exchange Square)- 6 buses

Stanley Prison
10/10S
North Point Ferry- Kennedy 2 buses

Town
11/12A-M
4 buses
Admiralty-Park
Road/Jardanine
25 A-C
Wan Chai-Bramer Hill
7.
41A/M47/47P
Wah
2 buses
Fu/Belchar-North 3 buses
Point/Ocean Park
8.
61
Central (Exchange Square)- 1 bus

Repulse Bay
9.
70/70M/71/71P/85
Exchange- 5 buses
Central
Aberdeen/Admiralty/Ferry
Pier
10. 73P
Aberdeen
Praya
Road- 2 buses
Cyberport
11. 76
Shek Pai Wan Estate Public 1 bus

Transport
Interchange-
Causeway Bay
12. 347/511/529/529P
Admiralty/Central-
6 buses
/592/780/780P
Abardee/Jardanine/Bremar
Hill
13. 2/2A-
Central/ Yiu Tung/ Wah Fu 14 buses
X/3/3A/4/8/N8/13/14/
(South)- North Point/Aldrich
15/18/18P
Bay/ Wan Chai Ferry Pier/

Central (Connaught Road/
Felix Villas
14. 19/23/23A-B/25
North Point Ferry/ Central 5 buses

(Central
Ferry
Piers)-
Robinson Road (Circular)/

Tai Hang Road/ Tin Hau
Temple
15. 27/38/42/43X/46
North Point Ferry Pier/ Chi 5 buses

Fu Fa Yuen/ Wah Kwai
Estate-Bremar
Hill/Admiralty
Cross-Harbour Routes
16. 117
Sham Shui Po (Yen Chow

Street)-
Happy
Valley
(Lower)
17. 170
Sha Tin KCR Station-Wah

Fu (Central)
18. 182/182P/307/606P/621 Yu Chui Court/ Shun Lee - 7 buses

/619
Central(Macau
Ferry)-
Central Ferry Piers/ Island

Resort
19. 962B-P-S/962X/969A
Tuen Mun (Chi Lok Fa 18 buses

Yuen)-
Admiralty
(west)/
Causeway Bay
20. 973/973P/
Tsim Sha Tsui East -Stanley
2 buses
21. 101/102/103/104/108
Kwun
Tong
(Yue
Square)Kowloon
Man 9 buses
Bay/Shau
Kei Wan/ Pak Tin-Kennedy

Town/ Pokfield Road/ Island
Resort
22. 112/113/115/115P/
So Uk/ Kowloon City -North 4 buses

Point/ Belcher Bay
23. T6/101R-N
Aberdeen (Shek Pai Wan) - 3 buses

Pak Tam Chung
AirPort Routes
24. A11
North
Point
Ferry
Airport
Pier- 1 bus
(Ground
Transportation Centre)
25. A12
Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort)- 1 bus

Airport
(Ground
26. A21
Hung Hom KCR Station- 1 bus

Airport
(Ground
27. E11
Causeway Bay (Tin Hau)- 1 bus

AsiaWorld-Expo
28. N11
Causeway
Bay(Moreton 1 bus
Terrace)-Airport
(Ground
Total
28 bus routes
108
buses
Xxx= City Bus Xxx= New World First Bus Services Xxx= Kowloon Motor Bus Co.
Identified Express Bus Services

SL
Routes
Terminating Points
Buses
Identification
1.
629/629S
Central
(Edinburgh
Place)/ 2 buses
Admiralty MTR Station (West) Ocean Park (Tai Shue Wan)

2.
117/117R/118
Hong Kong Stadium/ Island Resort 3 buses

Mongkok/ Sham Shui Po
3.
102-107P
Mei Foo/ Yuen Estate/ Kowloon 4 buses

Bay/ Laguna Verde - Shau Kei
Wan/ Pokfield Road/ Wah Kwai/
Cyberport
4.
170/170P
Sha
Tin
KCR
Station-Wah
Fu 1 bus
(Central)
5.
182/182P/307/606 Yu
Chui
Court-Central(Macau 2 buses
Ferry)
6.
962/962A/962X
Tuen Mun (Lung Mun Oasis) - 3 buses

Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace)
7.
8.
N102/N118/N170/
Mei Foo - Shau Kei Wan
N171
(overnight service)
680/680P/680X
Lee
On-Admiralty
2 buses
MTR 3 buses
Station (East)
9.
934-948
Bayview Garden/ Shek Lei - Wan 4 buses

Chai/ Cheung On Estate
10. T6/101R
Aberdeen (Shek Pai Wan)/ Happy 4 buses

Valley Race Course - Pak Tam
Chung/ Kwun Tong (Yue Man
Square)
Total
10 Bus Routes
28 Buses

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Title

Application of the hub concept to urban public transport in

The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent

Abstract of thesis entitled

Application of the Hub Concept to Urban Public Transport

for the degree of Master of Arts in Transport Policy & Planning

This research attempts to appraise the application of the concept of hub

Application of the Hub Concept to

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of

Supervisor: Professor H.C. Pang

I am truly grateful for the support, inspiration and encouragement I have

My greatest appreciation and respect are extended to Professor H.C. Pang, my

I also extend my sincerest appreciation to the members of my study group,

appreciate all the time they have spent with me.

Review of Public Transport in Hong Kong

Propositions and Hypotheses

Chapter VII Findings of Interviews

Chapter VIII Interpretation and Application of Findings to North Point

Discussion on Implementability of Improvements

been transformed from an island of barren rocks to the pearl of

transport system. Hong Kong authorities have been quite proactive.

modes and links. This dissertation attempts to put forward a

centre and practically it is mastering all-round development

modernization of air, water and road/rail transport facilities.

strategy with specific reference to North Point and details will be

Chapters IV, V & VI present the

existing transport system in Hong Kong along with an appraisal for

fact that urban space is a limited and non-renewable resource

increasing supply of vehicles and transport facilities is just no more

Literature Review &

Surveys & Field

Survey Formats &

Data Analysis &

Figure-2.1: Study Approach and Tasks

This dissertation proceeds with the target to evolve and

pertaining to the field of public transportation has been scanned

through for gathering relevant information and knowledge on issues

designing and networking ideas, costs, barriers and success

urban development are necessarily intermingled with one another.

mentioned earlier, the literature review is aimed at identifying the

Review of Public Transport in Hong Kong

A comprehensive review of the public transport system in

development plan (HK 2030). All available modes of public transport

aimed at getting a clear picture of the public transportation system

identifying the hub characteristics, economic indicators and

getting an impression on the progress and development of the

earmarked for Hong Kongs public transportation system and

identifying other complementary measures and externalities

Propositions and Hypotheses

package of realistic plans and policies like transportation plans, land

opportunities for further growth and development. Considering the

transportation development plan for Hong Kong should adhere to

economical and environmental needs;

Under the ambit of the above guiding principles, three

Land use planning and transportation development should

Relationship of stakeholders (Government, Public and the

Local and regional transportation links need be interconnected

Surveys and Interviews

existing public transportation system, linking various corridors and

Properly designed and user-friendly survey formats have been used

Examining the trip patterns of various modes of transport and

commuters making the trips and establishing the travelling

Identifying the preferences, advantages, barriers and other

Properly designed survey formats, audio recording and photography