Kowloon Motor Bus is hoping a new model of air conditioner will put an end to environmentalists' protests against 'freezing' buses.
The 'fourth-generation' product, previously fitted only in luxurious sedans, will be used on public transport for the first time when new buses go into service next year.
KMB's principal engineer for bus engineering, Kane Shum Yuet-hung, said the equipment would reduce temperature fluctuation inside the bus and reduce fuel consumption and the emission of pollutants. 'Older types of air con cut off the emission of cold air when the bus gets too cold, and vice versa, so it's either all or none and the fluctuation tends to be bigger,' he said. 'But the new air con adjusts temperature every 30 seconds and it is never completely switched off.'
Maintaining a minimal circulation of cold air helps save up to 23 per cent of energy that is wasted in restarting the machine, and less fuel consumption means less pollution.
'In winter, energy consumption could be greater than normal, but after levelling off with the amount we save [in summer] there are still benefits,' Mr Shum said.
KMB is also upgrading the air-conditioning in older buses.