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A public light bus (PLB) is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It uses minibuses to serve areas that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is colloquially known as a ''minibus'' or, in Cantonese Chinese, a '. It is a kind of share taxi. Minibuses carry a maximum of 16 seated passengers; no standing passengers are allowed. Minibuses typically offer a faster and more efficient transportation solution due to their small size, limited carrying capacity, frequency and diverse range of routes, although they are generally slightly more expensive than standard buses. The popularity of public light bus services in Hong Kong is due to the high population densities which are needed to support the extensive network of minibus routes. ==Overview== Minibuses in Hong Kong are distinguished by the colours 'green' and red', which denote different purposes. This distinction is displayed on the external roof of the car, although originally the distinction was a stripe of the latter colours banded around the midsection of the van. Otherwise, the two versions of the minibus are identical in appearance, both sporting a predominant cream-coloured body. Most of the minibus are Toyota Coasters, but a new and environmentally friendly Iveco Daily Green minibus has also been introduced as part of one of the many recent schemes in Hong Kong to increase the quality of the buses. Most of the buses run on Autogas (liquefied petroleum gas or LPG). This type of fuel is not only cheaper, but also reduces emissions. The transport commission is making further efforts to reduce emissions by providing incentives for bus drivers to make the switch to even more efficient electric vehicles. As of 2014, there were 4,350 public light buses in Hong Kong, of which 1,200 were red minibuses (RMBs) and 3,150 were green minibuses (GMBs). The operations of these two types of services are regulated through conditions imposed by the Commissioner for Transport under the passenger service licences (PSLs).〔http://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/public_transport/minibuses/index.html〕 On all public green minibuses, a large passenger-visible speedometer is installed on the interior roof, adjacent to the driver seat. This allows passengers to effectively see the current speed of the minibus. The purpose of these speedometers is to raise awareness of the issue of speeding in minibuses. Thus, all speedometers are set with a visual and audible alarm that activates when the bus reaches a speed greater than 80 km/h. This prevents buses from traveling above 80 km/h, and as such it is not unusual to see minibuses travel at lower speeds on freeways and more in urban areas. On red minibuses, the passenger speedometer is installed at the driver's own discretion, and consequently are rarely in red buses. From 2012, all public light buses were required to install speed limiters which restricted the maximum speed of the vehicles to 80 km/h. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Public light bus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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