Commuting from Bel Air to Central

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Commuting from Bel Air to Central

    Hi

    I am considering renting an apartment in Bel Air. I would need to commute to Central each morning and I was wondering if people who currently live in Bel Air and commute to central would be able to help with the following questions:

    1) I know the shuttle bus runs to the Shun Tak centre each morning. I would need to get to Chater House/Landmark - what would be the best way to get there from the Shun Tak centre each morning? The walk would seem to be 15/20 mins at least, are there any better alternatives? For example, is it better to then go one stop on the MTR from Shueng Wan to Central, or to get a bus?

    2) Assuming I don't use the shuttle bus, I am thinking of using bus 30X to exchange square each morning (as I would then only have a very short walk to Chater House/Landmark). Is it easy to get a place on bus 30X from outside Bel Air at around 9am or do you need to get there well in advance to ensure you get a place?

    3) Finally, how long does the 30X bus ride take to reach central in the morning rush hour (around 9am)?

    Apologies for posting questions on a topic which I know has been discussed in various forms in the past. However, I couldn't find anything specifically on the above queries, and am also conscious the answers can probably vary over time, I would therefore be really grateful if any current residents would be able to share their thoughts/experiences on the above.

    Thanks

    Jay


  2. #2

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    1) MTR+short walk would be better
    2) 30X in the morning has plenty of room
    3) too long :-) I would suggest you take the shuttle and stay away from 30X. Another alternative is to go with the minibus 10


  3. #3

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    Thanks Howard, really appreciate the quick response!

    A few follow-on questions if that's ok:

    1) Re the 30X, how long is too long? The reason I ask is, even if the 30X takes 35 to 40 mins to reach exchange square, once there I would only need to walk another 5 mins so the total commute time may be less than taking the shuttle and then getting the MTR from Shun Tak to Central?

    2) Where does minibus 10 collect from and drop off? And how long does it take to reach central in the mornings? The agent showing me around did mention minibuses but I got the impression it would take me around 10 to 15 mins to walk to the minibus stop from Phase 4 of Bel Air in the mornings (although I didn't look into this much further and could be mistaken). Also, are there plenty of spaces on the minibuses in the morning or do you need to wait a while to get on one?

    Many thanks in advance.


  4. #4

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    30X - the quickest I've done it is 30 mins, but many times it takes over an hour due to traffic and the fact that the bus is very slow to accelerate out of stops.

    Minibus 10 goes from the transport interchange and travels via Caine road in mid levels so you would need to take the escalator down:
    Transport Department - Hong Kong Island GMB Route No. 10

    Here is another alternative I had not previously considered:
    Transport Department - Hong Kong Island GMB Route No. 8


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:
    1) MTR+short walk would be better
    2) 30X in the morning has plenty of room
    3) too long :-) I would suggest you take the shuttle and stay away from 30X. Another alternative is to go with the minibus 10
    Agree with 1) and 2).

    Disagree with 3): Key variable is the degree of back-up on the Eastern Highway, but generally should only be about 20-25 minutes on the 30X to Exchange Square - less if you can go before 8.30 or after 9.30.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by beachball:
    but generally should only be about 20-25 minutes on the 30X to Exchange Square...
    I'm going to have to time it next time; but to me it sure feels like 20mins just to get out of WahFu :-)

  7. #7

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    Oct 2011
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    Thanks for the replies both, that's really helpful.

    How long does the 8.50am shuttle take to get in? I assume it's quicker than the 30X as it doesn't stop on the way - is it fair to assume it generally takes 20 mins to reach Shun Tak?

    Also, where exactly does the shuttle drop off at the Shun Tak centre? I will prob go and do a dummy run just so I can see how long it would take to get from the shuttle drop off to the MTR platform etc, to get a better idea of what the total commute will take if using the shuttle.

    Sorry for all the questions, just want to be sure I have some certainty on what my commute will be like before signing up to an apt for the long term!

    Thanks again.


  8. #8

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    I know traffic was particularly bad last Friday but I had to go from Bisney rd to Kennedy Town at around 8.40 and that took over 30 mins. Pokfulam road always seems horrendous at that time of day (I go daily from Pokfield Rd but had to get petrol Friday)


  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay55:
    Thanks for the replies both, that's really helpful.

    How long does the 8.50am shuttle take to get in? I assume it's quicker than the 30X as it doesn't stop on the way - is it fair to assume it generally takes 20 mins to reach Shun Tak?

    Also, where exactly does the shuttle drop off at the Shun Tak centre? I will prob go and do a dummy run just so I can see how long it would take to get from the shuttle drop off to the MTR platform etc, to get a better idea of what the total commute will take if using the shuttle.

    Sorry for all the questions, just want to be sure I have some certainty on what my commute will be like before signing up to an apt for the long term!

    Thanks again.
    It varies, but generally I have found the 30X to be faster, unless the highway is really jammed.
    The shuttle goes along Victoria Road and through Kennedy Town at what feels like a snail's pace - plus a some time ago there were a lot of construction sites on Victoria Road (with the temporary traffic lights) and it became an excruciatingly slow journey.
    In contrast, the 30X goes past Wah Fu and then along Polfulam Road and the highway - main bottlenecks are Pokfulam Road and the highway between 8.45 and 9.30 or so.
    Unless I expect the highway to be bad or when going to the Shun Tak area, I do not bother with the shuttle. Also consider that the MTR/subway station is a little bit of a walk from the shuttle bus drop-off/pick-up.

    Unless really not feasible, I would recommend avoiding the 8.45 to 9.30 rush hour, unless you can work/read on the bus/shuttle (but note that there is not a lot of space, as it will be quite full) or do phone calls while driving. I drive and leaving before 8.30 means I get to the office almost 1 hour earlier minutes earlier than if I had left at 9.00 - conversely, when leaving after 9.30 (closer to 10.00 these days with the traffic), I only get in 10-15 minutes later...
    Last edited by beachball; 04-10-2011 at 09:14 AM.