Happy happy ding ding? Hong Kong’s new-look trams offer more smiles per mile

The city’s iconic trams are displaying a new smiling logo as the operator looks to reshape its visual identity to attract more passengers.

Hong Kong Tramways’s managing director Emmanuel Vivant reassured customers on Friday that prices would not rise, although he admitted the firm was under pressure to increase fares – HK$2.30 per ride for adults – as it was struggling with rising costs.

“We haven’t raised fares for six years but many transport operators have increased prices this year. We are still thinking about it but so far we don’t have any plans yet to propose to the government,” he said.

The old design, which has been in use for 43 years, is being replaced on trams and signposts over the next two weeks.

The new logo showcases a double-decker silhouette with the shape of a green Bauhinia leaf in the background and a subtle smile on the bumper.

As part of the rebranding, three trams sporting a new look, complete with the logo and slogan “Catch a ride, Catch a smile”, hit the streets on Friday. Another 157 trams will display a smile on their bumpers for three months to represent Hongkongers’ happy collective memories of the vehicles, affectionately known as “ding dings”.

The streetcars are the city’s oldest form of public transport, with a history stretching back 113 years.