Hong Kong's first hydrogen-powered double-decker makes its debut in Kai Tak on Feb 25, 2024. - China Daily/ANN
HONG KONG: The first hydrogen double-decker in Hong Kong rolled out and plied its initial route on Sunday (Feb 25), marking a major development in the city’s public transportation as it adopts zero-emission technology.
Operating from Citybus’ West Kowloon Depot - which has Hong Kong’s first hydrogen refueling station - the hydrogen bus made its debut at 11am on route 20 and took to the road with customers on board.
The bus offered services from Muk On Street in Kai Tak to Hoi Tat Estate in Cheung Sha Wan, driving through the districts of Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, and Kowloon City, with a daily schedule of 6 to 8 trips in the initial phase, Citybus said in a statement released on Sunday.
In the next phase, the hydrogen bus will expand its operations to routes 20A and 22M as the three routes include two prominent trunk routes to enable the bus company to gather operational insights into real-world scenarios, including differing traffic conditions, weather factors and performance, said Roger Ma, general manager (Operations) of Citybus.
Following the debut of Hong Kong’s first electric double-decker in 2021, Citybus said it will introduce the next generation of hydrogen and electric buses for parallel testing and deployment within this year, with an aim to operate a full-fleet of zero-emission buses by 2045. - China Daily/ANN
