View source for New World First Bus

{{Short description|Bus operator in Hong Kong}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox Bus transit
|name            = New World First Bus
|logo            = NewWorldFirstBus.svg
|image           = 6207 at Cross Harbour Tunnel Toll Plaza (20181003112743).jpg
|image_caption   = [[Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC]] in October 2018
|company_slogan  =
|parent          = [[Bravo Transport]]
|founded         = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1998|9|1}}
|defunct         = {{End date and age|df=yes|2023|7|1}} (merged to [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]])
|headquarters    =
|service_area    = Hong Kong
|service_type    = Bus services
|alliance        = [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]]
|routes          = 51
|depots          = 4
|fleet           = 650 (July 2022)
|ridership       = 489,000 (2012)
|ceo             =
|website         = {{URL|http://www.nwfb.com.hk/}}}}
{{Chinese
| t = 新世界第一巴士服務有限公司
| j = San1 sai3 gaai3 dai6 jat1 baa1 si6 fuk6 mou6 jau5 haan6 gung1 si1
| y = Sān sai gaai daih yāt bāa sih fuhk mouh yáuh haahn gūng sī
}}

'''New World First Bus Services Limited''' ('''NWFB''') was the third-largest bus operator in Hong Kong. Established by [[NWS Holdings]] and [[FirstGroup]] in September 1998, it took over 88 [[China Motor Bus]] services in [[Hong Kong Island]]. From 2020 until its merger with [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]] in 2023, it was a subsidiary of [[Bravo Transport]], the owner of Citybus. The NWFB brand was retired on 1 July 2023 with operations merged into Citybus.

==History==

=== Background ===
Before NWFB was established, franchised bus service in [[Hong Kong Island]] was provided by [[China Motor Bus]] (CMB) (franchisee since 1933) and [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]] (franchisee since 1991). In the early 1990s, the service levels of CMB were in decline. Therefore, the [[Government of Hong Kong]] started to introduce new competitors by transferring the franchise of CMB routes to other companies. As a result, Citybus became the second franchisee of the bus service on Hong Kong Island. Over 40 routes were transferred between 1991 and 1995.<ref>[http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/company/history/index.aspx?intLangID=1 History] [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]]</ref> In spite of the loss of many profitable routes, the service of CMB did not show any significant improvement. 

=== Bidding for franchise ===
In February 1998, the government announced the franchise for all 140 routes operated by CMB would not be reviewed when it expired 31 August that year. Eighty-eight of the routes were placed to open tender, 12 routes were transferred directly to Citybus, one [[Victoria Harbour|cross-harbour]] route to [[Kowloon Motor Bus]], and the remaining routes were cancelled.<ref>[http://www.info.gov.hk/isd/news/dib/0217.htm Daily Information Bulletin] [[Information Services Department]] 17 February 1998</ref><ref>[http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr97-98/english/panels/tp/minutes/tp210298.htm Panel on Transport (Minutes)] [[Provisional Legislative Council]] 21 February 1998</ref>

Six companies lodged bids:<ref>[http://www.cki.com.hk/english/whatsNew/1998/19980313.htm CKI Forms Consortium To Bid for Bus Tender] Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings 13 March 1998</ref><ref>[http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/bus-groups-battle-for-hong-kong-tender-1.350347 Bus groups battle for Hong Kong tender] ''[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]'' 14 March 1998</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Proposed Name
!Previous Shareholders
!Current
|-
| rowspan="2" |Affluent Dragon Island Limited
|[[China Motor Bus]] (50%)
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|[[Stagecoach Group]] ({{LSE|SGC}}) (50%)
|-
| rowspan="2" |Argos Bus
|Argos Enterprise (Holdings) ({{sehk|8022}}) (50%)
|
|-
|[[HKR International]] (50%)
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Hong Kong Public Bus Co Limited
|Dah Chong Hong ({{sehk|267}})(70%)
| rowspan="2" |Kwoon Chung Bus
|-
|Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings ({{sehk|306}}) (30%)
|-
| rowspan="4" |Hong Kong United Bus Limited
|[[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus Group]] (35%)
| rowspan="4" |[[Bravo Transport]]
|-
|[[CK Infrastructure Holdings|Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings]] ({{sehk|1038}}) (35%)
|-
|China Travel International Investment Hong Kong ({{sehk|308}}) (25%)
|-
|CNT Group ({{sehk|701}}) (5%)
|-
|Hong Kong Motor Bus
|[[Transport International|Kowloon Motor Bus Holdings]] ({{sehk|62}}), now known as Transport International
|[[Transport International]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |New World First Bus
|[[NWS Holdings]] ({{sehk|659}}) (74%)
| rowspan="2" |[[Bravo Transport]]
|-
|[[FirstGroup]] ({{lse|FGP}}) (26%)
|}
NWS Holdings was considered a [[dark horse]] as it was the only bidder with no local bus operation experience. However, NWS Holdings was awarded a replacement franchise in March 1998 with commitments of new facilities, improved service standards and employment of CMB staff. During the handover in mid-1998, NWFB faced a lot of difficulties since CMB was reluctant to cooperate. NWFB commenced operating at midnight on 1 September 1998 after a series of negotiations and with help from the government. However NWFB had already started its operation of other non-overnight routes at midnight as CMB refused to operate after that time.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140311211026/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/uk-bus-operator-wins-pounds-55m-franchise-1153789.html UK bus operator wins £55m franchise] ''[[The Independent]]'' 1 April 1998</ref><ref name="LegCouncil31Jul98">[http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr98-99/english/panels/tp/papers/tp3107-4.htm Panel on Transport (Papers)] Legislative Council Panel on Transport 31 July 1998</ref>

=== Start of operations ===
NWFB took over 88 bus routes on 1 September 1998, with the fleet mostly were 710 step-entrance buses. In order to compete with Citybus and KMB, NWFB has purchased 500 new low-floor buses, out of which 76 are Dennis Dart SLF and the remaining are all low-floor, and 50 buses commenced operations immediately. Step-entrance buses had the NWFB logo applied over the CMB logos and blue patches over the CMB corporate flag, before repainting it to NWFB livery, and upgraded the floor, handrails, lighting system and seating layout. The seating layout was changed from 3+2 to 2+2, making a typical refurbished bus accommodate 10 fewer passengers than one before refurbishment.<ref name="LegCouncil31Jul98" />

As for the older buses from CMB, they were all gradually phased out by January 2016, becoming full low-floor fleet except for two Dennis Condors (DM18 and DM22) and two Volvo Olympians (VA51 and VA54) which were transferred to Citybus before retirement. After the phasing out of all older buses from CMB, NWFB also began retirement of the first-generation low-floor fleet, and 1220 was even transferred to Citybus before retirement in 13 December 2020.

In May 2000 [[FirstGroup]] sold its shares to joint venture partner [[New World Development]] giving it 100% ownership.<ref name="NWSMilestones">[http://www.nws.com.hk/html/eng/about/milestones.aspx?hidden_params01=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvIObTrowNI6xoxUYvHvUQqs9Y9UFju3udQ6Gk6awBU2TKx7U8JF2asqvh9V6idzADg%3D%3D&hidden_params02=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvAdscwlD4S5Aei4keMyMuBTG6%2F6gJz9mt1%2FE51PrS8Ud&params01=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvIObTrowNI6xoxUYvHvUQqs9Y9UFju3udQ6Gk6awBU2TKx7U8JF2asqvh9V6idzADg%3D%3D&params02=MHgMw6YMDDDVurs5kj5QvAdscwlD4S5Aei4keMyMuBTG6%2F6gJz9mt1%2FE51PrS8Ud Milestones 2000] [[NWS Holdings]]</ref>

In June 2003 fellow franchised bus operator [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]] was purchased by NWFB parent company [[NWS Holdings]], bringing the bus services of Hong Kong Island once again under control of a single organisation. Before the acquisition, many of the two companies' competing routes overlap each other. In order to make better use of company resources, many routes were reshuffled. Redundant routes were cancelled, and [[Octopus card]] bus-bus interchange discounts were introduced between routes of both companies.<ref name=NWSMilestones/>

In January 2004 NWFB took a 51% shareholding in Kunming New World First Bus, a [[joint venture]] established with the Kunming government to operate services to [[Kunming]] in [[Yunnan]] on 39 routes with 700 buses.<ref name=NWSMilestones/>

=== Retirement of brand ===
In August 2020, along with Citybus, NWFB was sold to the [[Bravo Transport]] consortium, made up of private equity firm Templewater Bravo, Hong Kong-listed investment holding company Hans Energy and [[Ascendal Group]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200924230843/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/153644/Private-equity-fund-Templewater-buys-Citybus-and-New-World-First-Bus-in-HK$3.2b-deal Private equity fund Templewater buys Citybus and New World First Bus in HK$3.2b deal] ''[[The Standard (Hong Kong)|The Standard]]'' 21 August 2020</ref><ref>Hong Kong sale saves jobs ''[[Buses (magazine)|Buses]]'' issue 787 October 2020 page 20</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ascendalgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200821-NWST-press-release_EN.pdf|title=International consortium acquires First Bus and Citybus
|publisher=NWS Holdings & Templeman|website=Ascendal Group|date=21 August 2020|access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nws.com.hk/pdf/en/20208212092220792.pdf|title=Disposal of the entire issued shared capital of NWS Transport Services Limited|publisher=NWS Holdings|date=August 2020|access-date=24 January 2022}}</ref>

In July 2022, Bravo Transport announced that it would be retiring the NWFB brand, with operations merged into Citybus when the next franchise commenced on 1 July 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bravobus.com.hk/en/uploadedPressRelease/19336_12072022_Bravo_eng.pdf|title=	Bravo Transport Announces the Merger of Citybus and NWFB Franchises into the Newly Created Citybus (Franchise for Urban and New Territories Network)|publisher=Bravo Transport|date=12 July 2022|access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220717130733/https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/192183/Citybus-and-New-World-First-Bus-merger-plan-approved-by-Executive-Council Citybus and New World First Bus merger plan approved by Executive Council] ''The Standard'' 12 July 2022</ref> In July 2023, the brand was retired.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-01 |title=Hong Kong’s New World First Bus drives into history as it merges with Citybus |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3226217/hong-kongs-new-world-first-bus-drives-history-it-merges-sister-company-citybus |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref>

==Fleet==
As at July 2022, the fleet consisted of 650 buses.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220717132509/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3185496/new-world-first-bus-fans-vow-take-photos-and-many New World First Bus fans vow to take photos and many rides before colours change to Citybus’ yellow and red following merger] ''[[South China Morning Post]]'' 16 July 2022</ref> NWFB operated four depots at Heng Fa Chuen, Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O and West Kowloon.<ref name=HKTransportDept/>

<gallery>
File:ES6657@ARTY.jpg|NWFB's officially last [[Dennis Dragon|Dennis Condor]] non air-conditioned bus retired in August 2002
File:NWFBLeylandOlympian11m.png|Ex [[China Motor Bus]] [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] R bodied [[Leyland Olympian]] at [[Shau Kei Wan]]
File:NWFBNeoplanWthWavyLivery.png|[[Neoplan Centroliner]] painted in the standard wavy livery
File:VA-NWFB.JPG|Refurbished [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] R bodied [[Volvo Olympian]] in [[Causeway Bay]] in November 2005
File:DennisPlaxton.JPG|[[Plaxton Pointer]] bodied [[Dennis Dart]] SLF in November 2005
File:EZ7136.jpg|[[Carlyle Works|Carlyle]] bodied [[Dennis Dart]]
File:NWFB&CMB-VAs.jpg|Second-handed [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] R bodied [[Volvo Olympian]], one in CMB livery, other repainted in NWFB livery at [[Chai Wan]] in August 1999
File:Nwfb dennis condor 11m.JPG|[[Duple Metsec]] bodied [[Dennis Dragon|Dennis Condor]]
File:NWFB Leyland Olympian 11m.JPG|[[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] R bodied [[Leyland Olympian]]
File:新巴人力車觀光巴士路線 H1 「懷舊之旅」.jpg|[[Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus]] [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] R bodied [[Volvo Olympian]] in October 2009
File:ADL-Enviro500MMC-NWFB.JPG|[[Alexander Dennis Enviro500 MMC]], introduced in 2013.
File:NWFBTrident 3326.jpg|Interior of a NWFB [[Dennis Trident 3]] fitted out to [[FirstGroup]] specifications
</gallery>

==Routes==
{{Main|List of bus routes in Hong Kong}}
[[File:New World First Bus stop, Sunshine City Plaza.JPG|thumb|New World First Bus stop in Sunshine City Plaza, Ma On Shan, it is served by the exclusive NWFB Eastern Harbour Tunnel route 682]]
Before the merger with Citybus, New World First Bus had 168 routes. Triple digit routes beginning with 5 were originally air-conditioned only bus routes in the 1990s, now all these were rationalised and only three bus services remains (511, 592 and 595). In October 2009, NWFB commenced operating through its [[Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus]] subsidiary.<ref name=HKTransportDept>[http://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/buses/new_world_first_bus/index.html New World First Bus] Hong Kong Transport Department</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of bus routes in Hong Kong]]
* [[List of Hong Kong companies]]
* [[New World Development]]
* [[Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus]]
* [[Transportation in Hong Kong]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|New World First Bus}}
* [https://www.nwstbus.com.hk/ New World First Bus and Citybus Company website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050206175821/http://busfanworld.org/english/index.html Bus Fan World]
* [http://www.orientalmodelbuses.co.uk/Xtra/HK-NWFB-Enviro-5518.htm/ New World First Bus Enviro500 12m Euro V Information]
{{New World Development|state=autocollapse}}
{{Bus companies of Hong Kong|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Bus companies of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:FirstGroup companies]]
[[Category:NWS Holdings]]
[[Category:Transport companies established in 1998]]
[[Category:Transport companies disestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:2023 disestablishments in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:2023 mergers and acquisitions]]