View source for China Motor Bus

{{Short description|Hong Kong bus operator and property developer}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2011}}
{{Distinguish|China Motor Corporation}}
{{Infobox company
| name = China Motor Bus Company, Limited
| logo = China Motor Bus Logo.png
| type = Public company
| traded_as = {{sehk|26}}
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1923|9|2}}
| location = [[Chai Wan]], Hong Kong
| key_people = Henry Ngan (Chairman)
| industry = Public transport (formerly)<br>[[real property|Property investment]]
| products = [[Bus|Bus services]] (formerly)
| num_employees = 
| revenue = $93.5 million (2013/14)
| website = {{URL|https://www.irasia.com/listco/hk/cmb/index.htm}}
}}
The '''China Motor Bus Company, Limited''' ({{zh|t=中華汽車有限公司}}), often abbreviated as '''CMB''', is a property developer based in [[Hong Kong]].<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/company-profile/0026.HK China Motor Bus information on Reuters, 2018-05-20]</ref> Before its bus [[Government-granted monopoly|franchise]] lapsed in 1998, it was the first motor bus operator in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the introduction of the iconic [[double-decker bus]]es to Hong Kong Island.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB887736927707200500 Citing Poor Service, Hong Kong Cancels China Motor Contract, Wall Street Journal 1998-02-18 Retrieved 2018-05-20]</ref> Currently CMB does not run any transport services and has since shifted into property development as an alternative means of profit.

==History==
[[File:CX7 CMB Shuttle Bus 11-06-2015.jpg|thumb|[[Marshall C37]] bodied [[Dennis Dart]] on Tanner Road (without "China Motor Bus" words) in June 2015]]
[[File:VC1 side (2).jpg|thumb|[[Volvo B6LE]] acquired from [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]]]]
[[File:CMB Dennis Jubilant DS1 (28656597228).jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Dennis Jubilant]] kept by bus enthusiast.]]
[[File:VA64 at City Hall, Connaught Rd C (20190120115229).jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Volvo Olympian]] kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Central in January 2019.]]
[[File:CMB SF15 05-02-2021.jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Daimler Fleetline]] kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Tsing Yi in February 2021.]]
[[File:CMB_Daimler_Fleetline_LF280_(1998).jpg|thumb|China Motor Bus [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] bodied Leyland Fleetline in August 1998]]
[[File:CX2 CMB A20 display 01-01-2022(1).jpg|thumb| Preserved [[Dennis Dart]] [[Marshall C37]] bodied kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Central in January 2022.]]
[[File:CMB MC6(Right side) 01-01-2022(4).jpg|thumb| Preserved [[MCW Metrobus]] MkI kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Central in January 2022.]]
[[Ngan Shing-kwan]] and Wong Yiu Nam formed the China Motor Bus Company, Limited, in 1923 to provide transport services in the [[Kowloon Peninsula]] of [[Hong Kong]]. Prior to this, Ngan had operated a [[rickshaw]] business also within the Kowloon Peninsula. In 1933, the company received an [[exclusive right|exclusive]] bus franchise agreement from the [[Government of Hong Kong]] to operate routes on [[Hong Kong Island]].<ref name=rickshaw>Eli Lau and Vanessa Gould, [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=14572&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20010419&sear_year=2001 He started pulling rickshaws, created a bus company and died frugal but rich] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314033011/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=14572&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20010419&sear_year=2001 |date=14 March 2012 }}, [[The Standard (Hong Kong)|The Standard]], 19 April 2001</ref>

After [[World War II]], the network of CMB's routes expanded alongside exploding population on the island. New buses were purchased to increase ridership. In the mid-1970s, a livery of a buff upper body and a blue lower body was adopted. CMB adopted a policy of improving its service during the 1970s, by introducing a new type of rear-engined bus ([[Daimler Fleetline]]) and reforming the route number system. In 1976 CMB earned over $20 million HKD, the highest profit in the company's history.

With the opening of the [[MTR]] [[Island line (MTR)|Island line]] in 1985, and CMB's growing reputation of poor services, CMB ridership began to decline. On 29–30 November 1989, CMB employees organised a strike, after negotiations on pension funds broke down. During the strike, all CMB services on Hong Kong island were halted. This forced the government to use police vehicles to replace services for commuters travelling to and from the [[Southern District, Hong Kong|Southern District]] of Hong Kong. After this incident, the relationship between CMB and the government worsened, leading to the government to adopt more directive policies in respect of CMB.

Meanwhile, competitors such as [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus Limited]]  had successfully lured passengers from CMB's franchised routes to their own residential routes. Their services provided more comfortable seats, an air-conditioned fleet, and a more direct route (via the [[Aberdeen Tunnel]]) from Chi Fu Fa Yuen to [[Admiralty, Hong Kong|Admiralty]]. Citybus were able to compete against CMB by only the fares on routes which paralleled  the more uncomfortable and indirect CMB counterparts.

In 1993, the government [[Network 26|redistributed 26 of CMB's routes to Citybus]], citing poor service levels. In 1995, a further 14 were transferred.<ref>"Hong Kong Buses Part 1: China Motor Bus Co" ''Fleetline'' issue 247 page 52</ref><ref>[http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/company/history/index.aspx?intLangID=1 History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808132849/http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/company/history/index.aspx?intLangID=1 |date=8 August 2017 }} Citybus</ref>

In February 1998, the government announced the franchise for all 140 routes operated by CMB would not be renewed when it expired on 31 August 1998. Eighty-eight of the routes were placed to open tender, 12 routes were transferred directly to Citybus, one [[Victoria Harbour|cross-harbour]] route to [[Kowloon Motor Bus|Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited (KMB)]], and the remaining routes were cancelled.<ref>[http://www.info.gov.hk/isd/news/dib/0217.htm Daily Information Bulletin] Hong Kong Government Information Services 17 February 1998</ref><ref>[http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr97-98/english/panels/tp/minutes/tp210298.htm Panel on Transport (Minutes)] Provisional Legislative Council 21 February 1998</ref><ref>[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</ref><ref name=LegCouncil31Jul98>[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</ref>

A joint venture named New World First Holdings (NWFH), later [[New World First Bus]] Company, (NWFB), was formed by the Hong Kong-based [[NWS Holdings]] and [[United Kingdom|UK]] based [[FirstGroup|FirstGroup plc]]. Despite being a dark horse candidate, and never having operated transport routes before, NWFH won the tender for the CMB routes and commenced operations with around 50 new buses and 710 former CMB buses.<ref name=LegCouncil31Jul98/> In 2020, NWFB was acquired by [[Bravo Transport]], the current owner of CityBus. In 2023, Citybus and NWFB were merged with the NWFB brand being retired.

==Current status==
Since losing its franchising rights, CMB's main business focus has shifted to real estate, by redeveloping its former bus depot properties.<ref name=rickshaw/><ref name=AnnualReport14>[http://www.irasia.com/listco/hk/cmb/annual/ar131113-e_cmbannualreport2013_2014eng20140930.pdf Annual Report Year Ended 30 June 2014] China Motor Bus Co</ref> There was a free shuttle bus service operated by the company between Island Place (one of the CMB's [[real estate development]]s) near the [[North Point station|North Point MTR station]] and North Point Government Offices with a [[Volvo B6LE]], acquired from Citybus, along with eight [[Marshall C37]] bodied [[Dennis Dart]]s. However, this service ceased on 30 June 2015 as the new environmental protection ordinance began to phase out pre [[European emission standards#Euro4|Euro IV]] diesel commercial vehicles.<ref>[https://www.hongkongfp.com/2015/06/30/bus-lovers-scramble-to-take-pics-of-final-cmb-service/ Bus lovers scramble to take pics of final CMB service] ''Hong Kong Free Press'' 30 June 2015</ref><ref>"End of the road for China Motor Bus" ''Buses'' issue 726 September 2015 page 16</ref>

China Motor Bus has also purchased some properties in [[London]].<ref name=AnnualReport14/>

==Fleet==
Besides the eight [[Dennis Dart]] Coach Express retained to operate the free shuttle service, most of the fleet was transferred to [[New World First Bus]] in 1998 after the end of CMB's franchise. Two [[Volvo Olympian]] air-conditioned buses were retained, being sold to Citybus in 2001<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050409185022/http://www.citybus.com.hk/eng/geninfo/fleet/fleet_detail.asp?fleet_id=21 9041-9042] Citybus</ref> with a [[Volvo B6LE]] acquired in return.

Some of the buses transferred to New World First Bus were later sold to [[City Sightseeing]] in Australia and [[The Original Tour]] in [[London]].<ref>[http://fleetlists.busaustralia.com/nat.php?search=CSE City Explorer] Australian Bus Fleet Lists</ref>

===Historic===
Partial list of historic bus types operated by CMB:

* [[Leyland Olympian]]
* [[Leyland Atlantean]]
* [[Leyland Victory Mark 2]] Series 2
* [[Dennis Condor]]
* [[Daimler Fleetline|Daimler/Leyland Fleetline]] - either new or ex [[London Regional Transport|London Transport]] DM/DMS-class
* [[MCW Metrobus]]
* [[Guy Arab]] IV and V
* Leyland Titan PD3/4 and PD3/5

==Depots==
*[[Chai Wan]] Depot: 391 [[Chai Wan Road]]/Sheung On Street (a 5-storey concrete parking facility, former head office of CMB and major depot since the 1990s)
*[[Wong Chuk Hang]] Depot: Ocean Park Road (owned by the [[Government of Hong Kong]]) now used by [[New World First Bus|NWFB]]
*(Former) [[North Point]] Depot: site redeveloped by CMB as the residential complex {{ill|Island Place|yue|%E6%B8%AF%E9%81%8B%E5%9F%8E|zh-tw|%E6%B8%AF%E9%81%8B%E5%9F%8E}} (construction started in March 1994, completed in May 1997)
*[[Kennedy Town]] Depot: a minor depot later used by NWFB, now closed
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19980518054232/http://www.cmb.com.hk/ CMB official homepage on Internet Archive]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091027113249/http://hk.geocities.com/nwfb88/cmbnonfranalbum.htm  Non-franchise album of China Motor Bus (Chinese only)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20011111172531/http://hk.geocities.com/nwfb88/cmbeventdetails.htm  Timeline of China Motor Bus (Chinese only)]
*[http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DChina%2BMotor%2BBus%26prssweb%3DSearch%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fl%3D0%26fr%3DFP-tab-web-t&h=419&w=600&imgcurl=www.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb-ml68-112.jpg&imgurl=www.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb-ml68-112.jpg&size=46.5kB&name=cmb-ml68-112.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chaffeeyiu.com%2Fhkbus%2Fcmb.html&p=China+Motor+Bus&type=jpeg&no=11&tt=253&ei=UTF-8 CMB Fleet]
*[http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DChina%2BMotor%2BBus%26prssweb%3DSearch%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fl%3D0%26qp_p%3Dchina%2Bmotor%2Bbus%26imgsz%3Dall%26fr%3DFP-tab-web-t%26b%3D121&h=707&w=855&imgcurl=paperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb-cm2.gif&imgurl=paperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb-cm2.gif&size=26.2kB&name=cmb-cm2.gif&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpaperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb.htm&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpaperbus.bravepages.com%2Fcmb%2Fcmb.htm&p=China+Motor+Bus&type=gif&no=123&tt=253&ei=UTF-8 CMB Paperbus]

{{Bus companies of Hong Kong|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Bus companies of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Land developers of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:1933 establishments in Hong Kong]]