Route 2 on Hong Kong Island is a bus service operated by Citybus, between Grand Promenade, Sai Wan Ho and Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus, Sheung Wan.

An Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC on route 2

The Route is similar to Route 720.

History

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The route was started in 1929 by Hong Kong Tramways between Royal Pier, Central and the east gate of Taikoo Dockyard, and had no number at that time. On 11 June 1933, China Motor Bus began operation of the route as part of its franchise of bus routes on Hong Kong Island, and the number "2" was assigned to this route. In 1934, the Central terminal was changed to HYF Ferry Pier. Since 1935, there were special daily services during the swimming season to the swimming yards at North Point.

During the Japanese occupation, service on the route was suspended. On 16 March 1947, service was resumed, with the Central terminus at Central Ferry Piers. In February 1948, there were five buses servicing the route, increased to ten in July, and a frequency of five minute per bus was achieved by November. Later the frequency was further increased to four minutes per bus, with 17 buses serving the route. Starting from 12 November 1949 the route was extended to Shau Kei Wan. In mid-1951, a short service between Central Ferry Piers and North Point was started, but was soon replaced by a new route 10 on 1 August 1951. In 1959, the service time was extended to 00:30 for the convenience of night ferry passengers. On 16 April 1962 service time was further extended to 01:20 in response to the extension of service time by HYF. On 16 June 1962, the Central terminus was changed to Jubilee Street.

In 1962, the first CMB double-decker, the Roline, started service on the route. On 22 January 1963, service of the first six CMB double-deckers started on Route 2. Because of the high level of patronage, CMB later had to introduce a large number of Guy Arab V double-deckers to operate this route.

On 21 October 1968, a special express service with no number was started, with a yellow sign that said "EXPRESS" hanging at every bus stop the express service serves. In early 1970 the service was designated an express service of Route 2. On 1 November 1973, the express service was cancelled and replaced by the newly designated route 20.

Route 2 was classified as an urban flat-road route in 1972, with a ticket price the cheapest amongst the then three types of CMB routes. In the same year the first rear-powered bus in Hong Kong, a Daimler "Jumbo" (RXF1, later SF1) was assigned to the route. The Central terminus was changed to Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier on 1 September 1982. In 1985, the terminal at Shau Kei Wan was moved to a newly constructed one. The completion of Island line caused a drop of patronage on the route.

On 1 September 1998, the route was handed over to NWFB with the franchise of CMB ended. In 2000 the route was designated a full air-conditioned route. On 3 June 2001, the route was changed to run via Gloucester Road for the westbound direction to Central, instead of Hennessy Road as part of NWFB's rearrangement of bus services, and the eastern terminus was changed to Aldrich Bay. On 30 June 2002, the Aldrich Bay direction started to serve the new Central Ferry Piers, and on 13 July 2003 even the eastbound direction to Aldrich started to use Gloucester Road. On 24 June 2006, the eastern terminus of the route was moved to the newly opened bus terminal under Grand Promenade. [1][2]

Fare

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Full Fare:$4.9

From Tai On House to Sai Wan Ho (Grand Promenade):$4.3

Route

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The wiring diagram of this line
Start at Sai Wan Ho (Grand Promenade) Start at Central (Macau Ferry)
No. Name of Bus Stop Place No. Name of Bus Stop Place
1 Sai Wan Ho (Grand Promenade) Bus Terminus 1 Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus
2 Tung Yuk Court Tung Hiu House Oi Kan Road 2 Central Government Pier Man Kwong Street
3 Aldrich Garden Oi Yin Street 3 Central Pier No.3
4 Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus 4 Central Pier No.5
5 Sun Shing Street Shau Kei Wan Road 5 Central Star Ferry
6 Hoi An Street 6 Two International Finance Centre Man Yiu Street
7 Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre 7 Central (Exchange Square) Bus Terminus
8 Tai Cheung Street 8 Jardine House Connaught Road Central
9 Kornhill Garden Kornhill Road 9 City Hall
10 Po Fung Garden King’s Road 10 Admiralty Station Queensway
11 Quarry Bay Street 11 Golden Star Building Lockhart Road
12 Taikoo Place 12 Immigration Tower Gloucester Road
13 Mansion Street 13 Victoria Park
14 Model Estate 14 Causeway Bay Road
15 Healthy Village 15 Ngan Mok Street King’s Road
16 Island Place 16 7 Seas Shopping Centre
17 Metropole Building 17 Tin Chong Street
18 Cheung Hong Street 18 Tong Shui Road
19 Fortress Hill Station 19 Kam Hong Street
20 Tsing Fung Street 20 Island Place
21 Queen’s College Tung Lo Wan Road 21 Healthy Village
22 Chinese Recreation Club 22 Model Estate
23 Patterson Street Gloucester Road 23 North Point Government School
24 Cannon Street 24 Sunway Garden
25 Marsh Road 25 Westlands Gardens
26 Tonnochy Road 26 Tai Koo Shing Plaza
27 O’ Brien Road 27 Tai On House Shau Kei Wan Road
28 Fenwick Road 28 Hoi An Street
29 Admiralty Centre Harcourt Road 29 Aldrich Bay Road
30 The Landmark Des Voeux Road Central 30 Nam Hong Street
31 Central Market 31 Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus
32 Golden Centre 32 Oi Tung Shopping Centre Oi Yin Street
33 Central (Macau Ferry) Bus Terminus 33 Tung Yuk Court Tung Hiu House Oi Kan Road
34 Sai Wan Ho (Grand Promenade) Bus Terminus

References

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  1. ^ Stanley Yung (December 2004). The Development of Hong Kong Island Bus Routes in 20th century. Ming Hing. ISBN 962-8414-66-6.
  2. ^ Eric Lo. "NWFB Route 2". 681 Bus Terminal. Retrieved 14 February 2008.