Hong Kong government defends public transport links to new Kai Tak Hospital
The Hong Kong government says bus and minibus services to the new Kai Tak Hospital are adequate for current demand, despite residents' complaints about infrequent and one-directional routes. Officials are monitoring demand and will adjust services as the hospital expands. The Hospital Authority has
The Hong Kong government has defended the public transport links to the new Kai Tak Hospital, which began phased operations on 5 October 2026, amid complaints from residents about infrequent and one-directional bus services. In a Legislative Council written reply on 4 November, the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Hospital Authority said existing services are sufficient for current patient numbers.
The 500,000-square-metre hospital, which will eventually provide 2,400 beds, is the largest public hospital in the city and serves 1.8 million people in the Kowloon Central cluster, including districts such as Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong. Its services are being rolled out in stages, with family medicine, pharmacy and patient resource centres opening on 5 October, providing 250 daily outpatient slots. Specialist outpatient clinics for surgery, neurosurgery and clinical oncology followed on 26 October.
In response to the first part of the question from lawmaker Yeung Yiu Kit, the government said 16 franchised bus and green minibus routes directly serve the hospital from 10 MTR stations and major Kowloon districts. Over 40 additional routes stop nearby, with a covered footbridge connecting the hospital to the Kowloon Bay business area. Two special one-directional bus services—KMB routes 11A and 17A—were introduced for residents of Chuk Yuen and Ho Man Tin during peak consultation hours. The government said these have met current demand and that returning passengers can use connecting services to MTR stations. Routes to Lok Fu and Hung Hom were also detailed: passengers from Hung Hom can take Citybus route 20X or KMB route X6C directly, while those from Lok Fu can take the MTR to Kai Tak station and transfer to Citybus route 22S. The government said it will monitor passenger numbers and adjust services as the hospital expands.
On the second part, the Hospital Authority confirmed that outpatients who arrive slightly late will be seen on the same day where possible, without needing to reschedule.
On the third part, the Hospital Authority said that between 5 October and 2 November, six patients who mistakenly went to Queen Elizabeth Hospital instead of Kai Tak Hospital were all seen there under a special one-off arrangement. The authority has also been sending appointment reminders via the HA Go app three weeks and one day before appointments, and has held 69 community outreach events in the past year to inform the public about the service transfer.