Ever since Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) launched its pet-friendly bus services, the response has been overwhelmingly positive in Hong Kong’s pet owners. After all, in a city where dogs are not allowed on public transportation and the only option for travelling with pets is to drive or order taxis and Ubers (which gets costly), an affordable bus alternative is a god-send. KMB has gamely added new routes to service more people, with stops now available in neighbourhoods like To Kwa Wan, Sham Tseng, Stanley, and more. Read on to find out more about week day pet bus routes, monthly tickets, and August-exclusive adventure buses.
What is KMB’s Pet-Friendly Island Day Trips event?
For three days in the month of August, KMB’s pet buses will run to the more far-flung locations of Cheung Sha Beach, Shek Pik Reservoir, and Tai O. Each of the ‘tour’ days will stop by different pick-up and drop-off points, such as Tung Chung, Yuen Long, and Science Park, to allow more pet owners around Hong Kong to experience the bus services. The day trips will last for around eight hours each with itineraries in place, so all you have to do is show up.
What are the schedules for KMB’s Pet-Friendly Island Day Trips?
KMB’s August 3 trip departing from Sheung Shui, Tai Po, and Tung Chung has already finished, but here are the schedules for the other two pet day trips this month.
August 24 trip: Departing from Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, and Tung Chung
Bus route:
9.10am pick-up at Long Ming Street in Yuen Long, 9.30am at V City in Tuen Mun, 10am at Tung Chung station on Tat Tung Road → Upper and Lower Cheung Sha Beach (stay for 45 to 60 minutes) → Shek Pik Reservoir (stay for 30 to 45 minutes) → Tai O (stay for two and a half hours) → 4.10pm drop-off at Tung Chung, 4.30pm at V City, 5pm at Yuen Long
August 31 trip: Departing from Science Park, Tai Wai, and Tung Chung
Bus route:
9.10am pick-up at Fo Yin Road in Science Park, 9.30am at Exit A of Tai Wai MTR station, 10am at Tung Chung station on Tat Tung Road → Upper and Lower Cheung Sha Beach (stay for 45 to 60 minutes) → Shek Pik Reservoir (stay for 30 to 45 minutes) → Tai O (stay for two and a half hours) → 4.10pm drop-off at Tung Chung, 4.30pm at Tai Wai MTR station, 5pm at Science Park
How much is it to join KMB’s Pet-Friendly Island Day Trips?
Tickets can be purchased via KMB’s App1933 mobile app. One passenger with one pet will cost $228, while two people with one pet will cost $398. After selecting your route and date, and completing purchase, a confirmation email will be sent and a QR code generated within the app itself. On the day of your adventure, simply scan the QR code upon boarding.
For both this special event and other pet-friendly bus routes, tickets will need to be booked in advance, so don’t rock up to the bus spots with your dog in tow expecting to be able to swipe your Octopus card as usual.
What’s the latest with KMB’s pet-friendly bus routes?
From mid-July, KMB has launched eight brand-new bus routes to four popular destinations for pet-owners, including Go Park Sai Sha, the West Kowloon Cultural District, the East Coast Boardwalk in North Point, and Ma Wan. Pick-up and drop-off stops have also been increased, adding the areas of To Kwa Wan, Sham Tseng, Stanley, Repulse Bay, and The Mills in Tsuen Wan to the pet-friendly routes for the first time.
Tickets for one passenger with one pet will cost $60, while two passengers and a pet will pay $90 – this will allow you to hop on and off stops for an unlimited amount of times for one day along a route.
What are the newest routes for KMB’s pet-friendly buses?
- Route PB1A to Go Park Sai Sha (double-decker bus and coach)
Kwai Fong ⇋ Tsuen Wan West ⇋ Sha Tin ⇋ Go Park Sai Sha
Departs Kwai Fong every Saturday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PB1B to Go Park Sai Sha (coach)
Kai Tak ⇋ To Kwa Wan ⇋ Diamond Hill ⇋ Tai Wai ⇋ Go Park Sai Sha
Departs Kai Tak every Sunday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PB2A to West Kowloon Cultural District (coach)
Yuen Long ⇋ Tsuen Wan ⇋ Nam Cheong ⇋ West Kowloon
Departs Yuen Long every Saturday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PB2B to West Kowloon Cultural District (double-decker bus and coach)
Tuen Mun ⇋ Gold Coast ⇋ Sham Tseng ⇋ Olympic ⇋ West Kowloon
Departs Tuen Mun every Sunday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PB3A to East Coast Boardwalk in North Point (coach)
Kowloon Tong ⇋ Mong Kok ⇋ Ho Man Tin ⇋ Causeway Bay ⇋ North Point
Departs Kowloon Tong every Saturday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PB3B to East Coast Boardwalk in North Point (double-decker bus and coach)
Stanley ⇋ Repulse Bay ⇋ Central ⇋ Wan Chai ⇋ Causeway Bay ⇋ North Point
Departs Stanley every Sunday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PBS1 to Ma Wan (double-decker bus and coach)
Central ⇋ Wan Chai ⇋ West Kowloon Cultural District ⇋ Mei Foo ⇋ Tsing Yi ⇋ Ma Wan
Departs Central every Saturday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
- Route PBS2 to Ma Wan (coach)
Tung Chung ⇋ Tsuen Wan ⇋ Kwai Fong ⇋ Tsing Yi ⇋ Ma Wan
Departs Tung Chung every Sunday, from 10am to 6pm; one bus per hour
What other services do KMB’s pet-friendly buses provide?
KMB has recently also added weekday services to their pet-friendly routes, so your adventures are not just limited to the weekends! Every Friday, this bus runs between Tsuen Wan and Tsim Sha Tsui, because happy Fridays are for pets too.
Route PBW1 (double-decker bus and coach)
Tsuen Wan ⇋ Mei Foo ⇋ Olympic ⇋ West Kowloon ⇋ East Tsim Sha Tsui
Departs Tsuen Wan and East Tsim Sha Tsui every Friday, from 12 noon to 6pm; one bus every two hours
What is the pet bus monthly pass?
If you’re planning on using the pet bus services a lot, it would definitely be worth getting a monthly pass. At $100 for one passenger with one pet, and $150 for two passengers with one pet, pet owners can enjoy unlimited rides on KMB’s pet-friendly buses for 30 days. The monthly pass covers all normal routes and does not include the special trips or activities of the month, and is not transferable to another person who did not purchase the pass. At just a fraction more than a single-day ticket, this is an absolute steal for outdoorsy pups and their owners.
How to use KMB’s pet-friendly buses
As mentioned earlier, passengers will need to pre-book their pet bus tickets. Make sure you arrive before the scheduled departure time, because late arrivals will not be refunded. However, passengers who have missed their pre-book slot can wait to be assigned on the next service if there is an available spot, at no extra cost. Track the pet buses’ schedules on KMB’s app to avoid this hassle.
The back row of buses, including the last row on the top deck, will be prioritised for cat owners, so felines can be separated from other pets that might alarm them. There is no standing room on pet buses, and all passengers will need to remain seated for the journey. Passengers who have been booked on the same ticket will need to board and alight together; if pick-up and drop-off points are different, a new ticket will need to be purchased.
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