Citybus And New World First Bus To Merge

The Executive Council on Tuesday approved the merger of Citybus and New World First Bus.

The new franchise will be named Citybus Limited and will run from July next year until 2033.

A government spokesman noted in a statement that the merger will not result in any fare changes for existing routes.

The statement pointed out that the two existing franchises’ service areas are largely overlapping, and the merger will “facilitate continuous improvement and rationalisation of the franchised bus network on Hong Kong Island”.

It added that the move will enable the bus company to deploy its resources more flexibly to enhance existing services or introduce new service, and provide more comprehensive public transport ancillary facilities to keep up with the times.

The owner of the two bus companies, Bravo Transport, said the merger will open a new chapter in the SAR's public transport industry, and will provide a bus network covering the whole of Hong Kong.

Speaking at a press conference several hours after the announcement, its CEO, Adam Leishman, said the firm will invest over HK$3.5 billion in the next decade into the business.

“These investments include customer and colleague facilities, the upgrading of existing and creation of new depots, along with the ongoing purchase of buses and supporting infrastructure, for our ongoing business prosperity and zero emission transformation journey – which is a big part of what we are trying to achieve,” he said.

The company also promised not to lay off any drivers or back-office staff after the merger, saying instead that it is planning to hire new apprentices and graduates.

Bravo Transport added that routes and fares will be revised to make lives easier for commuters.

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