Investigating the Unique Driving Patterns of Public Light Buses in Hong Kong

Due to the fundamental differences in the technology adopted, the emission and energy consumption profiles of vehicles using alternative fuels are different, which motivates the need to identify the driving patterns (or driving cycles) for different vehicle types. In Hong Kong, driving cycles have been developed for different vehicle types since about 25 years ago, covering from light duty vehicles to traditional double decked buses and electric buses. Other existing driving cycle studies elsewhere involving alternative fuel or electric vehicles (EVs) did not provide direct comparisons using the same geographical locations. The public light bus (PLB) services are currently playing important roles in the public transport system in Hong Kong, however, no published scholarly studies looked into the driving patterns of this distinctive mode of urban transport. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the driving patterns of PLB services under the unique driving conditions in Hong Kong. A fixed-route PLB service deployed with electric and LPG minibuses was selected to collect on-road driving data during normal daily operations. This enabled a direct comparison between these two alternative fuel technologies along exactly the same route. The identified driving patterns would also be compared with driving cycles developed for other vehicle types in Hong Kong so as to illustrate the impact of PLB electrifications on driving performances. Findings from this study are expected to offer valuable insights for government authorities and PLB operators in devising strategies for the deployment of PLBs with different alternative fuel technologies in Hong Kong and other regions.