Yue Man Square Public Transport Interchange Enhances Traffic Service
The Yue Man Square Public Transport Interchange (PTI) commenced operation on 2 April. This is the largest covered PTI in Hong Kong. It features a comfortable and air-conditioned waiting area for passengers of the eight bus routes and 21 green and public light bus routes observing this PTI around the clock. Within the first two months of its opening, around 500 bus trips and 2,000 minibus trips operated from the PTI, serving more than 100,000 passengers who commute and use the 24-hour public passageway daily. The public is generally satisfied with the new PTI. They like the pleasant environment and its smooth operation, which helps to alleviate the severe traffic congestions in the district.
Yeung Wui-wing, Chairman of Lok Wah Public Light Bus Limited, is pleased with the queue lines designated for each minibus route, enabling passengers to queue up in a safe and orderly manner. Minibus drivers, meanwhile, are happy that public toilets are nearby.
The URA maintains frequent communication with all the concerned stakeholders including district councillors, local interest groups, and public transport operators, regularly collecting their feedback about the new PTI. During the initial launch period, extra manpower was deployed on site to effectively follow up requests from stakeholders. Service ambassadors were on hand at the PTI, as well as at the previous bus and minibus termini, to advise passengers on the new transport arrangements. In response to requests by many elderly passengers, more prominent signages have been placed all around the PTI to provide clearer directions and route information.
The new, two-storey, PTI has adopted measures to segregate passengers from vehicles. The eight bus waiting gates are set inside the Yue Man Square Shopping Mall, making these Hong Kong’s first air-conditioned bus waiting areas. These gates are equipped with an AI sensor-controlled boarding gate system, allowing passengers to wait for and board their buses in a safe and comfortable manner.
The URA will continue to collect feedback from stakeholders from various channels for improvement of service level.
Public Transportation Services Business As Usual
The relocation of the bus and minibus termini to Yue Man Square Public Transport Interchange (PTI) represented a major improvement and renewal of public transportation in Kwun Tong. To ensure the smooth transition of public transport services to the new PTI, more than 100 members from the URA, relevant government departments, the joint project developer, the property management company and the public transport operators took part in the overnight relocation operation. With the united efforts, the first bus departed from the new PTI on schedule at 5:30am on 2 April, marking the smooth relocation of the transport termini.