Wan Chai Ferry BBI scheme to commence this Saturday

Two bus routes from the South District can interchange with six routes from the Eastern District under a new bus-bus interchange (BBI) scheme to be implemented this Saturday (October 28) in Wan Chai Ferry.

"The introduction of new BBIs is a strategic measure to improve bus efficiency, contain bus growth while meeting demands, improve the bus network coverage and make better use of resources," said a spokesman of the Transport Department.

All eight bus routes involved are from the New World First Bus. While route 4X and 43 are from the Southern District, route 2A, 2X, 8, 8P, 720 and 722 are from the Eastern District.

To tie in with the scheme, the terminating points of route 4X (Wah Fu - Hennessy Road) and route 43 (Tin Wan - Admiralty) will be extended to Wan Chai Ferry starting the same day.

Passengers traveling from the Southern District on the above routes may transfer at the Wan Chai Ferry to the routes for the Eastern District or vice versa. If they use the same Octopus card, they will enjoy a discount of $1 on the second leg of their journey.

Since 4X is a single-way route operated between 7.15 am and 8.55 am from Monday to Saturday, passengers from the Eastern District may transfer to route 43 outside the operating time of route 4X.

Giving the details of the scheme, the spokesman said that the scheme would help reduce the pressure of introducing direct bus routes between the Southern District and Eastern District and hence would improve the traffic flow and air quality.

The spokesman said that both the department and the bus company would monitor the operation of the BBI scheme at Wan Chai Ferry.

Several BBI schemes have been carried out since March this year in Kwun Tong Road, Western Harbour Crossing Toll Plaza, and Causeway Bay respectively.

"We plan to implement three more BBI schemes within the current year in Admiralty, Tin Shui Wai Town Centre and Tate's Cairn Tunnel," said the spokesman.

End/Wednesday, October 25, 2000