China Motor Bus Company Was the First Franchised Bus Operator in Hong Kong

Public transport has been available in Hong Kong since 1888, when the Peak Tram, a funicular railway running between Garden Park and the upper levels of Victoria Peak, opened. However, it was only 35 years later that the first motor bus company was founded in Hong Kong.

On September 2, 1923, a local businessman who operated a rickshaw company on the Kowloon Peninsula established the China Motor Bus Company, often abbreviated as CMB. In 1933, the government of Hong Kong granted CMB the exclusive right to operate on Hong Kong Island.

In the mid-20th century, an influx of Mainland Chinese refugees to Hong Kong led to a dramatic population boom, which, in turn, resulted in increased ridership for CMB. New routes were opened, and in 1963, fourteen years after their competitor, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, CMB began operating its own double-decker buses.

However, after the MTR Island Line opened in 1985, CMB’s ridership declined. Following employee strikes in late 1989, the relationship between CMB and the government further deteriorated.

Throughout the 1990s, bus routes operated by CMB were transferred to its competitors, and in 1998, the government announced that CMB’s license would not be renewed. Since then, CMB has no longer been allowed to operate franchised bus routes.

As of 2026, although the company remains active, it no longer operates franchised buses.