Citybus Route 1

History

The route was started on 5 November 1928 by Hong Kong Tramways, between Sai Wan and Happy Valley. At that time, it had no route number. Just several days after the inauguration of service, the western terminus was changed to Sheung Wan near Wing Lok Pier, after calls from the police. On 11 June 1933 China Motor Bus gained the franchise of Hong Kong Island bus services, and the route was given the number "1". The western terminus was changed to Royal Pier, Central. In 1934, the western terminus was changed to the HYF Ferry Pier. On 1 April 1935, the service was extended to Sai Ying Pun, and the arrangement of having first and second class ticket prices was added. However, on 1 January 1939 the route was cut back to HYF Pier, the terminal before 1935.

During Japanese occupation, the route was suspended. Limited service on the route was resumed on 22 September 1945 between HYF Pier and Tai Hang via Happy Valley. In January 1946 the terminus was modified to Central Market. At this time there are five buses servicing the route, when the route was the only one in service by CMB. In February there were only three buses left due to lack of repair, and the route was divided into two separate services, Central Market – Tai Hang and HYF Pier – Happy Valley. In May route 5 service was resumed and the terminus of route one was changed to Central Ferry Piers, with two buses servicing. By next February there were six buses on the route.

On 1 January 1960 the terminus was changed to Cleverly Street. In 1962, the Happy Valley terminus was changed from Blue Pool Road to Broom Road. In 1972 the route was classified into the category of urban slope routes, which had a higher price than normal urban routes and lead to a loss of patronage. In 1980 the western terminus of the route was changed to Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier, Central, and again in 1987 to Rumsey Street. On 1 September 1993 the route was transferred to CTB, and was designated a full air-conditioned service. On 31 May 1996 the Central terminus was moved to a new bus terminal of the same name, on newly reclaimed land.

After the acquisition of CTB by Chow Tai Fook, NWFB's mother company, the rearrangement of bus services lead to a proposal of merger of the route with 5A. The new route would have a number of 5A, but due to opinion from citizens saying that the number "1" should be kept because of its long history, both numbers were kept, with the route extended to Belcher's Bay, Kennedy Town, effective from 31 May 2004. This was the first time in Hong Kong bus history that a route has two numbers simultaneously. Frequencies of the route operated using the two numbers alternatively. On 28 June 2004 the terminus was changed to Sai Ning Street bus terminus. Later, however, Citybus decided that only one number should be kept, so it conducted a passenger survey on the matter. In the end the number "1" won, and consequently 5A was put out of service. As a result of the MTR West Island Line Extension, Citybus Route 5 was cancelled whilst the route was extended to Felix Villas effective 10 May 2015.

Route 1 currently holds the record of being the bus service in Hong Kong with the highest number of terminus modifications (14 times), with 4 pre-war and 10 post-war.