Kowloon Motor Bus will introduce a new two-axle double-decker in a bid to cut costs and reduce pollution.
The new model, to be introduced next month during non-peak hours, meets the Euro V emission standard, which means it releases at least 40 per cent less nitrogen oxide emissions than most buses on the road.
Most Hong Kong buses are 12-metre double-deckers with three axles.
The two-axle buses are not only cleaner but are more cost efficient.
However, they do have a smaller capacity of 88 passengers, compared to over 140 for larger models.
'We could deploy these smaller and greener buses during non-peak hours, when patronage is low,' KMB's principal engineer, Kane Shum Yuet-hung, said.
The new model has an intelligent gearbox that adjusts automatically to the best shift under different road environments and changes in loading, while its air conditioning adjusts every four seconds.