If ever you’re comfortable using your laptop inside a double-decker bus whether it’s crowded or not, then you’re in for a treat.

New World First Bus, the owner of those white/orange and yellow colored buses has started offering free wi-fi services on certain buses that travel within Kowloon and Hong Kong island.

These are the bus routes:
2, 2A, 8, 101, 104, 106, 111, 112, 116
Cityflyer routes A11 or A12

You will find the sign “Free internet access on Wi-fi bus” on buses that have Wi-fi facilities.

I often ride 2 and 2A to and from home but since I don’t have a laptop of my own, then the new offer doesn’t make a difference to me.

But I wonder how comfortable people would be using their laptops inside a moving bus? I myself can’t read book or newspaper inside as my eye starts to strain if I do so. But I guess many Hong Kong people can manage to read the news or open their notebook PCs while the bus is in motion, so this one should be OK.

I think using the upper deck would be much better than below as there’s less crowd and more orderly seating (nobody’s allowed to stand in the upper deck).

But I wonder why no New Territories routes like 962 (Causeway Bay – Tuen Mun) or 969 (Causeway Bay – Tin Shui Wai) are equipped with the same feature? I understand that route 2 for example, takes about 35-40 minutes from Quarry Bay to Central and that should be enough for a man with a laptop to use while riding the bus. Routes 962 and 969 have also similar, if not longer, travel time and people who aren’t sleepy or not in the mood for a noisy phone call or PSP game, would like to use the facility if they have laptops or get new Internet-supported mobile device… and have one more reason to ignore the TV ads on board.

I hope that someday no one will provide a research finding that says Wi-fi produces negative effects to human beings just like the risks posed by constant use of mobile phones.

The speed is reportedly around 7.2 megabits per second and don’t worry, costs will not be paid for by passengers in the form of fare hikes, whether or not they use Wi-fi or not.

I think this will help convince people who have laptops to take the bus (at least those who happen to be taking the routes described above) or convince people who ride these routes to buy laptops or other supported gadgets such as smart phones. A similar feature is already in place at the MTR.

Photo credit: Terencey