(Comparatively, Malaysia is not far from a very efficient public transportation system and with further extension to the LRT lines and the upcoming MRT lines, one hopes that it will close the gap in the current system. Perhaps we can learn one or two things from Hong Kong. Image source: Google)
Well, I don’t know it made one of the best first impressions – perhaps it is because I have not taken a public bus in Malaysia in a very long, long time (and I still don’t) and seeing an empty, the new comfortable bus made me in love with the idea of taking the bus again or perhaps because of this:-
Hong Kong has a highly developed and sophisticated transport network, encompassing both public and private transport. Over 90% of the daily journeys are on public transport, making it the highest rate in the world
(Source)
I just came back from a short trip to Hong Kong and one of the things that catches my eye when we touched down and exited the airport is their public transportation.
The Hong Kong International Airport itself was impressive although it was not in any way better than our own KLIA (it was way too crowded compared to KLIA too). The airport is well connected by train (which includes their superb Airport Express), buses and taxis, very similar to KLIA. Instead of taking the obvious option of using the Airport Express, we opted to take the Airport bus instead to the city.
One of the colleagues had a hotel reservation made and we could get off nearer to the hotel if we take the bus instead of the train. And it was cheap too – HKD40 for one way trip to the city centre (the Airport Express using the Octopus card costs HKD100 per trip).
We were tired and despite taking the bus, it was very comfortable and we managed to catch a short nap along the way. From the bus stop, we had to walk to the hotel and after one of my colleagues had checked in to a hotel, the rest of us decided to take the taxi to our apartment (another 30 minutes ride and cost us HKD41 for 3 of us and a couple of large luggage bags).
The driver hardly spoke English but he understood where we wanted to go but, what struck me immediately was there were 3 seats at the front which was not a norm but I guess no one dares to sit in the middle seat especially when the taxi driver was wearing shorts.
Walking around the apartment residential area is a breeze and it was a good chance for me to lose some baggage around my waist. And we did walk a lot here – good thing I brought my sports shoe along. There is no MTR (mass transit railway) station near the place where we were staying but they do have others namely buses, trams and of course, the iconic red colour taxi.
(Our option for public transport – is the double-deck buses. We took one from the Airport and so is the inter-city buses)
To move around, I would strongly suggest getting the Octopus card (we got ours at the airport and used it for the bus from the airport). The same thing with our Touch n Go card here and one can recharge the card at the numerous 7-eleven shops for free. The bus station is just about 100 metres from the apartment.
The tram station is a bit further and we decided not to take the tram in the morning. It is slower and does not have an air conditioner. The bus, on the other hand, is far more comfortable and it is very, very efficient. And since the bus stop near the apartment is just the 3rd bus stop on the bus lane, we always can find an empty seat during rush hours.
And here’s one reason I respect the Hong Kong commuters – they queue up to take the bus. Yes, there is a queue line on the pavement to ensure everyone knows where to queue up but I have also seen the same discipline of queuing up when they are waiting for the elevator.
Something that is grossly missing back here in Malaysia. Here, even before the people come out of the lift, those who were waiting for the elevator would simply rush in. They won’t even queue up but instead, crowd around the entrance. The same un-civic attitude can be seen when one waits for the bus.
The crowd would rush in and would be pushing and pulling to get onto the bus. Not a big surprise considering how they jump queues on the road. Nope, not here. Everyone waits and everyone gives way.
And Malaysia should introduce double-deck buses – it’s way too cool than the single-deck Intrakota buses we have in Malaysia (it is even worse with the old crappy, dirty Metro bus). It takes more passengers too.
I have experienced taking the double-decker bus when I was in Singapore but it was not a good experience, mainly because it is usually full by the time it reaches our bus stop. The top deck is only allowed for sitting passengers and the driver that I saw in Hong Kong made sure of it (he monitors via a CCTV).
And they always say that public transport is a money-losing business and that it is why it is run by the Government. But back in Hong Kong, it seems to be a different story:-
Is this problem intractable? Not exactly. Take Hong Kong for example: The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation, which manages the subway and bus systems on Hong Kong Island and, since 2006, in the northern part of Kowloon, is considered the gold standard for transit management worldwide.
In 2012, the MTR produced revenue of 36 billion Hong Kong Dollars (about U.S $5 billion)—turning a profit of $2 billion in the process. Most impressively, the farebox recovery ratio (the percentage of operational costs covered by fares) for the system was 185 percent, the world’s highest.
Worldwide, these numbers are practically unheard of—the next highest urban ratio, Singapore, is a mere 125 percent.
(Source)
This is true if you consider how the transportation system is integrated in Hong Kong – there have a number of major terminals where the MTR, bus and taxi have their main stations in one place. This is something we need to consider very seriously here in Malaysia.
As I had said, we rarely took the MTR – there is none near our apartment and the one we took was when we were going to Times Square for shopping. So, when it was time to fly back, I decided to take a taxi to the Hong Kong station (where the Airport Express train departs).
It was a short ride and the driver dropped me off at the entrance. The Hong Kong station is located quite close to the Central MTR station and allows passengers (for certain airlines) to check in (similar to facilities in KL Sentral). I already checked in online and since I only had a small luggage bag to bring along, I proceeded to the escalators to the platform.
The Airport Express is a dedicated train from the city to the airport very much the same as our KLIA Express and it is indeed fast, clean and comfortable. It costs HKD100 for way trip from the Hong Kong station to the airport.
Out from the MTR station, it was just a short walk to the check-in and baggage drop counters. It was a nice thing although I experienced the same queues and stone-faced officials at the immigration counters. Sometimes certain things never change.
It surely has the highest price for per square foot of land there and I think it really is going to go right up.