Hong Kong has a diverse multi-modal public transport system, comprising a Kowloon-Canton Railway, a Mass Transit Railway, an Airport Railway, a Light Rail Transit, a tramway, franchised buses, public light buses, taxis, non-franchised buses, a funicular cable tramway and ferry services, extending to almost every part of the territory. Rehabus services are also available for persons with mobility difficulties.

Public transport patronage increased in 2006 by about 1.7% over 2005 to 11.36 million passengers per day. The railways, which carried 4.12 million passengers per day in 2006, overtook franchised buses again to be the largest passenger carrying mode. Railway patronage increased by 1.8% compared with last year as a result of the opening of new railways in recent years including West Rail in late 2003, Tsim Sha Tsui Extension and Ma On Shan rail in late 2004 and Disney Resort Line in 2005. Coming next were the franchised buses, which carried 3.94 million passengers per day in 2006, representing an increase of about 0.5% against 2005. Railways, being the most environmentally friendly form of mass transport, will continue to expand in network and will form the backbone of Hong Kong's transport system, with other modes playing a supplementary although still important role to ensure that commuters will continue to have choice of services. For franchised buses, there were continuing improvements in the quality of franchised buses. By end 2006, about 91% of the franchised buses were air-conditioned buses and about 66% were Euro II or above buses with less emission. To ensure more efficient use of bus resources and to provide passengers with more choice of routes, bus-bus interchange schemes were promoted. In 2006, a total of 27 bus-bus interchange schemes were introduced, increasing the total number of schemes to 216 schemes.

The market share of ferry remained at about 1.4% in 2006 with 154 200 daily passenger trips. As at end 2006, there were altogether 13 franchised and licensed ferry operators providing 28 regular passenger ferry services and 2 dangerous goods vehicular ferry services to the outlying islands and across the harbour.