The Hong Kong Bus Handbook is a special edition of the Bus Handbook series to record the fleets of Hong Kong as, for many years, the buses operated in Hong Kong have been of particular interest to the British bus enthusiast. The double deck bus is the dominant form of public transport in the former British colony of Hong Kong. The operators included in this special edition include those who provide franchised stage and express services in what is now a special administrative region of The Peoples Republic of China, all updated to June 2002. The tram and light rail fleets are also included. Public Transport in Hong Kong is varied and of great interest to the transport enthusiast. Buses, trams, light rail, trains and ferries all feature in the transport infrastructure of Hong Kong. This publication concentrates on the buses and trams in operation during the summer of 2002. The first funicular railway started running in 1888 and the Peak Tramway, recently modernised still runs. In 1904 the first trams commenced operation and although the trams have been rebuilt several times, they still feature bodies styled in the 1920s. Buses first entered service in 1921. The operation of bus services was firmly regulated by the government in 1933 when a franchise system was introduced. In exchange for exclusive rights to operate all bus routes in an area, the bus companies have to cede to the government the control of fares, route patterns and profits. China Motor Bus was granted the Hong Kong Island franchise with Kowloon Motor Bus gaining the rights to the rest of the colony, including the then undeveloped New Territories. Kowloon Motor Bus gave up services on Lantau Island and in 1973 all the Lantau services were franchised to The New Lantau Bus Company.