New World First Bus

History

Background

Before NWFB was established, franchised bus service in Hong Kong Island was provided by China Motor Bus (CMB) (franchisee since 1933) and Citybus (franchisee since 1991). In the early 1990s, the service levels of CMB were in decline. Therefore, the Government of Hong Kong started to introduce new competitors by transferring the franchise of CMB routes to other companies. As a result, Citybus became the second franchisee of the bus service on Hong Kong Island. Over 40 routes were transferred between 1991 and 1995. In spite of the loss of many profitable routes, the service of CMB did not show any significant improvement.

Bidding for franchise

In February 1998, the government announced the franchise for all 140 routes operated by CMB would not be reviewed when it expired 31 August that year. Eighty-eight of the routes were placed to open tender, 12 routes were transferred directly to Citybus, one cross-harbour route to Kowloon Motor Bus, and the remaining routes were cancelled.

Six companies lodged bids:

NWS Holdings was considered a dark horse as it was the only bidder with no local bus operation experience. However, NWS Holdings was awarded a replacement franchise in March 1998 with commitments of new facilities, improved service standards and employment of CMB staff. During the handover in mid-1998, NWFB faced a lot of difficulties since CMB was reluctant to cooperate. NWFB commenced operating at midnight on 1 September 1998 after a series of negotiations and with help from the government. However NWFB had already started its operation of other non-overnight routes at midnight as CMB refused to operate after that time.

Start of operations

NWFB took over 88 bus routes on 1 September 1998, with the fleet mostly were 710 step-entrance buses. In order to compete with Citybus and KMB, NWFB has purchased 500 new low-floor buses, out of which 76 are Dennis Dart SLF and the remaining are either Dennis Tridents or Volvo B10TLs and 50 buses commenced operations immediately. Step-entrance buses had the NWFB logo applied over the CMB logos and blue patches over the CMB corporate flag, before repainting it to NWFB livery, and upgraded the floor, handrails, lighting system and seating layout. The seating layout was changed from 3+2 to 2+2, making a typical refurbished bus accommodate 10 fewer passengers than one before refurbishment.

As for the older buses from CMB, they were all gradually phased out by January 2016, becoming full low-floor fleet except for two Dennis Condors (DM18 and DM22) and two Volvo Olympians (VA51 and VA54) which were transferred to Citybus before retirement. After the phasing out of all older buses from CMB, NWFB also began retirement of the first-generation low-floor fleet, and 1220 was even transferred to Citybus before retirement in 13 December 2020. Before the merger in July 2023, NWFB only focuses on second-generation low-floor fleet (e.g. Enviro500 and B9TLs).

In May 2000 FirstGroup sold its shares to joint venture partner New World Development giving it 100% ownership.

In June 2003 fellow franchised bus operator Citybus was purchased by NWFB parent company NWS Holdings, bringing the bus services of Hong Kong Island once again under control of a single organisation. Before the acquisition, many of the two companies' competing routes overlap each other. In order to make better use of company resources, many routes were reshuffled. Redundant routes were cancelled, and Octopus card bus-bus interchange discounts were introduced between routes of both companies.

In January 2004 NWFB took a 51% shareholding in Kunming New World First Bus, a joint venture established with the Kunming government to operate services to Kunming in Yunnan on 39 routes with 700 buses.

Retirement of brand

In August 2020, along with Citybus, NWFB was sold to the Bravo Transport consortium, made up of private equity firm Templewater Bravo, Hong Kong-listed investment holding company Hans Energy and Ascendal Group.{{cite web|url=https://www.ascendalgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200821-NWST-press-release_EN.pdf|title=International consortium acquires First Bus and Citybus

In July 2022, Bravo Transport announced that it would be retiring the NWFB brand, with operations merged into Citybus when the next franchise commenced on 1 July 2023. In July 2023, the brand was retired.

Fleet

As at July 2022, the fleet consisted of 650 buses. NWFB operated four depots at Heng Fa Chuen, Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O and West Kowloon.

File:ES6657@ARTY.jpg|NWFB's officially last Dennis Condor non air-conditioned bus retired in August 2002 File:NWFBLeylandOlympian11m.png|Ex China Motor Bus Alexander R bodied Leyland Olympian at Shau Kei Wan File:NWFBNeoplanWthWavyLivery.png|Neoplan Centroliner painted in the standard wavy livery File:VA-NWFB.JPG|Refurbished Alexander R bodied Volvo Olympian in Causeway Bay in November 2005 File:DennisPlaxton.JPG|Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart SLF in November 2005 File:EZ7136.jpg|Carlyle bodied Dennis Dart File:NWFB&CMB-VAs.jpg|Second-handed Alexander R bodied Volvo Olympian, one in CMB livery, other repainted in NWFB livery at Chai Wan in August 1999 File:Nwfb dennis condor 11m.JPG|Duple Metsec bodied Dennis Condor File:NWFB Leyland Olympian 11m.JPG|Alexander R bodied Leyland Olympian File:新巴人力車觀光巴士路線 H1 「懷舊之旅」.jpg|Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus Alexander R bodied Volvo Olympian in October 2009 File:ADL-Enviro500MMC-NWFB.JPG|Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC, introduced in 2013. File:NWFBTrident 3326.jpg|Interior of a NWFB Dennis Trident 3 fitted out to FirstGroup specifications

Routes

Main article: List of bus routes in Hong Kong

Before the merger with Citybus, New World First Bus had 168 routes. Triple digit routes beginning with 5 were originally air-conditioned only bus routes in the 1990s, now all these were rationalised and only three bus services remains (511, 592 and 595). In October 2009, NWFB commenced operating through its Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus subsidiary.

References

References

1. link. (8 August 2017 [[Citybus (Hong Kong)). Citybus]]
2. [http://www.info.gov.hk/isd/news/dib/0217.htm Daily Information Bulletin] [[Information Services Department]] 17 February 1998
3. [http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr97-98/english/panels/tp/minutes/tp210298.htm Panel on Transport (Minutes)] [[Provisional Legislative Council]] 21 February 1998
4. [http://www.cki.com.hk/english/whatsNew/1998/19980313.htm CKI Forms Consortium To Bid for Bus Tender] Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings 13 March 1998
5. [http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/bus-groups-battle-for-hong-kong-tender-1.350347 Bus groups battle for Hong Kong tender] ''[[The Herald (Glasgow). The Herald]]'' 14 March 1998
6. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140311211026/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/uk-bus-operator-wins-pounds-55m-franchise-1153789.html UK bus operator wins £55m franchise] ''[[The Independent]]'' 1 April 1998
7. [http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr98-99/english/panels/tp/papers/tp3107-4.htm Panel on Transport (Papers)] Legislative Council Panel on Transport 31 July 1998
8. [http://www.nws.com.hk/html/eng/about/milestones.aspx?hidden_params01=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvIObTrowNI6xoxUYvHvUQqs9Y9UFju3udQ6Gk6awBU2TKx7U8JF2asqvh9V6idzADg%3D%3D&hidden_params02=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvAdscwlD4S5Aei4keMyMuBTG6%2F6gJz9mt1%2FE51PrS8Ud&params01=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvIObTrowNI6xoxUYvHvUQqs9Y9UFju3udQ6Gk6awBU2TKx7U8JF2asqvh9V6idzADg%3D%3D&params02=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvAdscwlD4S5Aei4keMyMuBTG6%2F6gJz9mt1%2FE51PrS8Ud Milestones 2000] [[NWS Holdings]]
9. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200924230843/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/153644/Private-equity-fund-Templewater-buys-Citybus-and-New-World-First-Bus-in-HK$3.2b-deal Private equity fund Templewater buys Citybus and New World First Bus in HK$3.2b deal] ''[[The Standard (Hong Kong). The Standard]]'' 21 August 2020
10. Hong Kong sale saves jobs ''[[Buses (magazine). Buses]]'' issue 787 October 2020 page 20
11. (August 2020). "Disposal of the entire issued shared capital of NWS Transport Services Limited". NWS Holdings.
12. (12 July 2022). "Bravo Transport Announces the Merger of Citybus and NWFB Franchises into the Newly Created Citybus (Franchise for Urban and New Territories Network)". Bravo Transport.
13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220717130733/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/192183/Citybus-and-New-World-First-Bus-merger-plan-approved-by-Executive-Council Citybus and New World First Bus merger plan approved by Executive Council] ''The Standard'' 12 July 2022
14. (2023-07-01). "Hong Kong’s New World First Bus drives into history as it merges with Citybus".
15. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220717132509/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3185496/new-world-first-bus-fans-vow-take-photos-and-many New World First Bus fans vow to take photos and many rides before colours change to Citybus’ yellow and red following merger] ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' 16 July 2022
16. [http://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/buses/new_world_first_bus/index.html New World First Bus] Hong Kong Transport Department