Editing China Motor Bus (section)

==History==
[[File:CX7 CMB Shuttle Bus 11-06-2015.jpg|thumb|[[Marshall C37]] bodied [[Dennis Dart]] on Tanner Road (without "China Motor Bus" words) in June 2015]]
[[File:VC1 side (2).jpg|thumb|[[Volvo B6LE]] acquired from [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus]]]]
[[File:CMB Dennis Jubilant DS1 (28656597228).jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Dennis Jubilant]] kept by bus enthusiast.]]
[[File:VA64 at City Hall, Connaught Rd C (20190120115229).jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Volvo Olympian]] kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Central in January 2019.]]
[[File:CMB SF15 05-02-2021.jpg|thumb|Preserved [[Daimler Fleetline]] kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Tsing Yi in February 2021.]]
[[File:CMB_Daimler_Fleetline_LF280_(1998).jpg|thumb|China Motor Bus [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]] bodied Leyland Fleetline in August 1998]]
[[File:CX2 CMB A20 display 01-01-2022(1).jpg|thumb| Preserved [[Dennis Dart]] [[Marshall C37]] bodied kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Central in January 2022.]]
[[File:CMB MC6(Right side) 01-01-2022(4).jpg|thumb| Preserved [[MCW Metrobus]] MkI kept by bus enthusiast, taken in Central in January 2022.]]
[[Ngan Shing-kwan]] and Wong Yiu Nam formed the China Motor Bus Company, Limited, in 1923 to provide transport services in the [[Kowloon Peninsula]] of [[Hong Kong]]. Prior to this, Ngan had operated a [[rickshaw]] business also within the Kowloon Peninsula. In 1933, the company received an [[exclusive right|exclusive]] bus franchise agreement from the [[Government of Hong Kong]] to operate routes on [[Hong Kong Island]].<ref name=rickshaw>Eli Lau and Vanessa Gould, [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=14572&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20010419&sear_year=2001 He started pulling rickshaws, created a bus company and died frugal but rich] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314033011/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=14572&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20010419&sear_year=2001 |date=14 March 2012 }}, [[The Standard (Hong Kong)|The Standard]], 19 April 2001</ref>

After [[World War II]], the network of CMB's routes expanded alongside exploding population on the island. New buses were purchased to increase ridership. In the mid-1970s, a livery of a buff upper body and a blue lower body was adopted. CMB adopted a policy of improving its service during the 1970s, by introducing a new type of rear-engined bus ([[Daimler Fleetline]]) and reforming the route number system. In 1976 CMB earned over $20 million HKD, the highest profit in the company's history.

With the opening of the [[MTR]] [[Island line (MTR)|Island line]] in 1985, and CMB's growing reputation of poor services, CMB ridership began to decline. On 29–30 November 1989, CMB employees organised a strike, after negotiations on pension funds broke down. During the strike, all CMB services on Hong Kong island were halted. This forced the government to use police vehicles to replace services for commuters travelling to and from the [[Southern District, Hong Kong|Southern District]] of Hong Kong. After this incident, the relationship between CMB and the government worsened, leading to the government to adopt more directive policies in respect of CMB.

Meanwhile, competitors such as [[Citybus (Hong Kong)|Citybus Limited]]  had successfully lured passengers from CMB's franchised routes to their own residential routes. Their services provided more comfortable seats, an air-conditioned fleet, and a more direct route (via the [[Aberdeen Tunnel]]) from Chi Fu Fa Yuen to [[Admiralty, Hong Kong|Admiralty]]. Citybus were able to compete against CMB by only the fares on routes which paralleled  the more uncomfortable and indirect CMB counterparts.

In 1993, the government [[Network 26|redistributed 26 of CMB's routes to Citybus]], citing poor service levels. In 1995, a further 14 were transferred.<ref>"Hong Kong Buses Part 1: China Motor Bus Co" ''Fleetline'' issue 247 page 52</ref><ref>[http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/company/history/index.aspx?intLangID=1 History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808132849/http://www.nwstbus.com.hk/company/history/index.aspx?intLangID=1 |date=8 August 2017 }} Citybus</ref>

In February 1998, the government announced the franchise for all 140 routes operated by CMB would not be renewed when it expired on 31 August 1998. 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|Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited (KMB)]], and the remaining routes were cancelled.<ref>[http://www.info.gov.hk/isd/news/dib/0217.htm Daily Information Bulletin] Hong Kong Government Information Services 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><ref>[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>

A joint venture named New World First Holdings (NWFH), later [[New World First Bus]] Company, (NWFB), was formed by the Hong Kong-based [[NWS Holdings]] and [[United Kingdom|UK]] based [[FirstGroup|FirstGroup plc]]. Despite being a dark horse candidate, and never having operated transport routes before, NWFH won the tender for the CMB routes and commenced operations with around 50 new buses and 710 former CMB buses.<ref name=LegCouncil31Jul98/> In 2020, NWFB was acquired by [[Bravo Transport]], the current owner of CityBus. In 2023, Citybus and NWFB were merged with the NWFB brand being retired.