If you want a day out without spending too much, a bus journey around the city can be lots of fun. I will guide you through Web sites produced by bus enthusiasts who enjoy travelling a lot. At Bus Tours ( http://www . geocitites.com/MotorCity/ 2335/tour.html), there are more than 30 suggested bus routes. For starters, there are short bus tours of about three hours. Medium-length bus tours are ideal for a whole-day trip and last about three to six hours. If you consider yourself a serious bus traveller, long tours lasting more than 10 hours are for you. But you will have an early start. The site suggests that travellers go around Hong Kong clockwise starting from Hong Kong Island, south across Kowloon peninsula, via the southern New Territories back to Hong Kong Island. You don't have to worry about where to get off or the weather. But you have to be familiar with bus routes and not get lost in the middle of your journey. Local bus services started in the early 1920s with the first bus fleet running on Kowloon peninsula. Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) was established in 1921 and was soon followed by China Motor Bus (CMB). Trams were the only form of transportation on Hong Kong Island which ordinary people could afford. In 1933, KMB and CMB were given franchises to run fleets of buses in Kowloon and the New Territories, and on Hong Kong Island, respectively. New Lantao Bus came into service on Lantau in 1973. Over the years, the three bus companies have introduced various models of buses to improve services and have increased passenger capacity by using double deckers instead of single deckers. Air-conditioned buses were introduced in 1975. There was a revamp in services when Citybus took over some of the routes operated by CMB in 1992. After 65 years, CMB retired from the bus business when the Government decided to improve services on Hong Kong Island. New World First Bus took over its routes last year. In recent years, technological advances such as the installation of the Octopus card system, radio broadcasts and announcement systems have brought about improvements in services. The Kowloon Motor Bus site ( http://www.kmb.com.hk ) provides bilingual information on KMB news, services, route information, and models of buses used in the fleet. You can also download more than 50 photos ranging from the oldest buses introduced 66 year ago to the latest models. There is a section for bus fans to become friends of KMB ( http://www.kmb.com.hk/ fokmb-e.html). By becoming a member, you will receive a T-shirt, a member's badge and other mementos. It also organises tours to bus depots. Bus fans have also composed and written songs ( http://www.kmb . com.hk/fokmb-song1.html) for the club. Apart from providing comprehensive information on bus routes and fares, the New World First Bus site ( http://www.mwfb.com.hk/ ) , also has real time traffic information from cameras installed in tunnels and highways by the Transport Department. There is also a list of suggested sightseeing routes. It covers areas such as Central, Wan Chai, North Point, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, Aberdeen and Sheung Wan. If you want a multimedia tour of the bus facilities, you will need RealPlayer ( http://www.real . com) and QuickTime player ( http://www.quicktime.com ). At the Funland ( http://www . nwfb.com.hk/funland/main. htm), you can send electronic cards, make paper bus models, download wallpaper and screensavers for your computer. The other bus sites are those of Citybus ( http://www.citybus . com.hk), New Lantao Bus ( http://home.netvigator . com/~hknlb/), and the already retired China Motor Bus ( http://www.great-china . net/cmb/). These sites provide information on bus routes and fares, and their history. Two bus fan clubs have been established to allow like-minded people to take part in various activities such as trips, talks, quizzes, bus depot visits and gatherings. Bus Fan World ( http://www.hkabc.net/~bfw/ ) has more than 850 members. The site provides a comprehensive history of bus services in Hong Kong since 1920. Members and bus-lovers can learn the latest news about ser vices provided by the three franchised bus companies. The club also details features of the latest bus models. Members get discounts on bus memorabilia and receive free newsletters. There are also links to the transport authorities, bus companies, bus manufacturers, bus- related Web sites produced by fans and world wide bus updates at ( http://www.hkabc . net/~bfw/link.htm). The Cosmopolis Bus Fan Club ( http://www.cbfc.org.hk/ ) has a good database of scenic spots, bus routes search engine for New World First Bus and Citybus, and fare lists for all buses in Hong Kong. Every month, the club organises activities to help members find out more about bus fleets and photographs of the events are shown on the Web site. It gives members up-to-date news about buses. A specially designed Cosmopolis Bus Magazine ( http://www.cbfc.org.hk/ magazine/cbmintro.htm) can be accessed on the site. You can read interviews and features about new buses and view photos and new collectibles. There are also more than 30 links to bus-related Web sites produced by bus-lovers (http:// www.cbfc.org.hk/url.html ).
