Route 8 on Hong Kong Island is an express bus service operated by Citybus, between Exhibition Centre station and Heng Fa Chuen.
| 8 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) An Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC on Route 8 entering Wan Chai North temporary terminus | |
| Overview | |
| Operator | Citybus |
| Vehicle | Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC |
| Route | |
| Start | Heng Fa Chuen |
| Via | Island Eastern Corridor |
| End | Exhibition Centre station |
| Length | 14 km |
| Other routes | Citybus Route N8 |
| Competition | MTR Island line |
| Service | |
| Level | 05:30-00:00 |
| Alt. level | 06:15-00:45 |
| Frequency | 11–20 mins. |
| Journey time | 48 mins. |
History
editRoute 8 was started by China Motor Bus on 12 November 1949, between Wan Chai Ferry (then next to Stuart Road and Shau Kei Wan via King's Road and Shau Kei Wan Road, in response to the inauguration of a new ferry route between Wan Chai and Jordan Road Ferry Pier by HYF, and also with the intention of augment the then congesting Route 2. The route became the first route CMB started after the Second World War.
On 1 August 1954 CMB started a new route with no number between Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan to serve the new bungalow development area there. At first the new route only serviced during mornings and from noon to evening, but in December service expanded to whole day long. On 1 June 1955 it merged with the main Route 8, with the terminus designated at the intersection between today's Chai Wan Road and Tai Tam Road (at that time, both roads were called Island Road). Still, the terminus was far away from development in Chai Wan, so a new route 8A was started in 1959 as a solution. 8A merged with 8 on 8 February 1961 after completion of widening works on Chai Wan Road. Consequently, the terminus was moved to the resite estates.
On 1 July 1972 the route was classified as an urban slope route, with a price higher than flat-road routes. On the same day service was further extended to San Ha Street, Chai Wan, to service the new Chai Wan Estate. At that time patronage on the route was high and it was usual to have a full bus. Starting from mid-1975, the route was completely serviced by double-deckers. On 22 June 1985 the eastern terminus was moved again to Chai Wan (East) Bus Terminus at Sheung On Street, and again on 1 February 1990 to Siu Sai Wan to serve the new Siu Sai Wan Estate. Partial air-conditioned service started on 27 February 1995, amongst the first batch of CMB routes to have done so.
Route 8 was handed over to NWFB on 1 September 1998 following the end of CMB franchise on Hong Kong Island bus services. Later the Siu Sai Wan terminus was changed to Island Resort.
Patronage on the route started to suffer from slow speed after the establishment of express routes 8X in 1996 and later 8P in 1998. Due to the strong request from local residents, the route was designated an express route on 11 February 2006 with the terminus at Heng Fa Chuen instead of Siu Sai Wan, and the route was changed to Island Eastern Corridor instead of King's Road. [1][2]
In 2015, route have been extended to Wan Chai North due to the demolition of the Wan Chai Ferry Pier bus terminus for the construction of Sha Tin to Central Link expansion project of Exhibition Centre station until 2022.
Route
editCurrent Route
edit
| Started at Hang Fa Chuen | Start at Exhibition Centre Station | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name of Bus Stop | Location | No. | Name of Bus Stop | Location |
| 1 | Hang Fa Chuen | Bus Terminus | 1 | Exhibition Centre Station | Bus Terminus |
| 2 | Paradise Mall (East) | Shing Tai Road | 2 | Stewart Road | Hennessy Road |
| 3 | Citybus Chai Wan Depot | 3 | Tonnochy Road | ||
| 4 | Chai Wan Industrial City | Wing Tai Road | 4 | Sogo Department Store | |
| 5 | Lok Hin Terrace | Chai Wan Road | 5 | Victoria Park | Causeway Road |
| 6 | Wan Tsui Shopping Centre | 6 | Hing Fat Street | ||
| 7 | Lee Chung Street | 7 | Ming Wa Building | Chai Wan Road | |
| 8 | Greenwood Terrace | Bus Terminus | 8 | A Kung Noam Road | |
| 9 | Hong Man Industrial Centre | Hong Man Street | 9 | Lei Yue Mun Park | |
| 10 | Star Of The Sea Catholic Church | Chai Wan Road | 10 | Tai Tam Road | |
| 11 | Hing Man Estate | 11 | Eastern Hospital | ||
| 12 | Shan Tsui Court | 12 | Ko Wai Court | ||
| 13 | Shau Kei Wan East Government Secondary School | 13 | Bayview Park | Hong Man Street | |
| 14 | A Kung Noam Road | 14 | Greenwood Garden | Bus Terminus | |
| 15 | Wing Hong Street | 15 | Cheung Tat Centre | Cheung Lee Street | |
| 16 | Hong Kong Central Library | Causeway Bay Road | 16 | Chai Wan Industrial Estate | |
| 17 | Yee Wo Street | 17 | Gold Mine Building | Chai Wan Road | |
| 18 | CNT Tower | Hennessy Road | 18 | Yue Wan Estate | |
| 19 | Hennessy Road Government School | 19 | Tsui Wan Estate | Wing Tai Road | |
| 20 | Exhibition Centre Station | Bus Terminus | 20 | HKIVE (Chai Wan) | Shun Tai Road |
| 21 | Hang Fa Chuen | Bus Terminus | |||
Route prior to express designation
editRoute 8 was a local service before 11 February 2006, which had a distance of 12.5 km for both directions in 66 minutes time, via:[3]
Wan Chai Ferry towards Siu Sai Wanedit
|
Siu Sai Wan towards Wan Chai Ferryedit
|
Associated night services
edit- N8, between Exhibition Centre station and Heng Fa Chuen
- N8X, between Kennedy Town and Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort)
References
edit- ^ Stanley Yung (December 2004). The Development of Hong Kong Island Bus Routes in 20th century. Ming Hing. ISBN 962-8414-66-6.
- ^ Eric Lo. "NWFB Route 8". 681 Bus Terminal. Retrieved 14 February 2008.
- ^ Eric Lo. "NWFB Route 8 (old route)". 681 Bus Terminal. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2008.
