Hong Kong buses with doors on both sides

I’ve written before about traffic in Hong Kong and Macau that drives on the left, vehicles in mainland China drive on the right, and how vehicles on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge switch from one side to the other – but how do the passengers onboard cross-border buses avoid stepping out in traffic? With two sets of doors!

Double deck shuttle bus heads from Hong Kong to Macau

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Shuttle Bus

Nicknamed “Golden Bus”, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Shuttle Bus company operates a shuttle service from the HZMB Hong Kong Port to the HZMB Zhuhai Port and HZMB Macau Port terminals, using a fleet of right-hand drive double-deck buses.

But with a second set of passenger doors on the right-hand side of the bus.

They also have a number of similarly equipped single-deck low-floor buses.

In addition to a handful of high-floor road coaches.

These buses were delivered in 2018, with the door on the right side catching the eye of netizens.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be opened to traffic this year. In the future, citizens can use different means of transport to travel between the three places via the bridge. One of the cheaper ways is to take the shuttle bus.

Some netizens recently photographed a “Golden bus” believed to be a bridge shuttle bus. The front position of the bus is marked with the words “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao”. Although it is a double-decker bus on the right, its design is different from that of the bus door in Hong Kong, which is located on the left. There are doors on both sides of the “Jinba” body, which is believed to be compatible with the different driving modes of the three places.

According to the Tender Document for Shuttle Buses of the Bridge, the operator is required to provide 90 to 140 shuttle buses for daily operation and no more than 30 spare buses. The shuttle bus will operate 24 hours a day in conjunction with the bridge, with an average of no more than 5 minutes during peak hours, 10 to 15 minutes during non-peak hours, and 15 to 30 minutes during overnight hours. It is reported that the shuttle bus fare will be “flatter than the boat”, and the one-way fare will be less than HK$100.

Huanggang-Lok Ma Chau Shuttle Bus

Nicknamed “Emperor Bus”, the Huanggang-Lok Ma Chau Shuttle Bus is another cross border service, using normal right-hand drive low-floor buses.

However they once operated a handful of Scania L94UB buses which had a second door on the right side of the body.

And other operators

Tour operators in Hong Kong such as China Travel Service operate right-hand drive coaches, registered for cross-border use, and provided with doors on the right-hand side for kerbside boarding when parked in mainland China.

China Travel Service cross-border road coach in Hong Kong, with a door on the right-hand side

As do the operators of the Sheung Shui to Man Kam To Control Point shuttle bus.

The Hong Kong – Macau Express service.

And “Motor Transport Company Of Guangdong And Hong Kong“.

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2 Responses to Hong Kong buses with doors on both sides

  1. Sam says:

    This style of door is also found worldwide on Bus Rapid Transit lines to allow passengers access at island stations, which would be opposite a normal curb. Some airport apron buses do this, to accelerate handling with large numbers of passengers with luggage.

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