Preservation of Hong Kong double-decker buses: from personal hobby to public interest

Abstract

No matter in Hong Kong or overseas countries, there are many enthusiasts eager on bus hobby and even on preserving old buses. It is noted that double-decker buses could sometimes mean more than a vehicle, they could be an icon or pride for a community, for example, the red bus is the icon of London. In UK, there are many bus or transport museums in preserving the old buses. The overseas practice has triggered local expectation on similar preservation practice for Hong Kong’s double-decker buses. A transport museum in Hong Kong has been advocated in recent years; however, the idea is still immature. In-depth discussion and study of this topic is also absent at this moment. The objective of this dissertation is to fill-up this gap.

Not many places in the world have long history of extensive & continuous use of double-decker bus (e.g. UK’s main cities, Dublin, HK, Singapore, and Berlin). This rarity justifies that more attention should be paid on Hong Kong old double-decker buses. The extensive use of 3-axle double-deckers is also a local characteristic.

Double-decker buses have been existing in Hong Kong since 1949. The extensive use of double-decker buses in Hong Kong is closely related to the social and economy development of the community. There is potential for double-decker buses to be treated as a cultural heritage asset for Hong Kong, and as a representative for Hong Kong.

The cultural heritage about double-decker buses has not been well recognized in the local community. Many old double-decker buses disappeared without any attention paid. Preservation of old double-decker is occasionally undertaken by the bus operators or individual bus enthusiasts.

In this research, the overseas practice for preservation of old buses, especially the British cases, will be reviewed. Comparison of the British and Hong Kong double-deckers history will also be undertaken. Finally, the discussion on whether and how Hong Kong should preserve our own buses will be made.