Page 37 - IJPS-9-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Transportation assimilation in Hong Kong

lives. While they may consider the culture completely as unique historical trajectory of Hong Kong from a Crown
a norm, it can create dizzy feelings for outsiders who first Colony to a Special Administrative Region, it is important
arrived from a dramatically different geographical context to acknowledge the internal heterogeneity of the Chinese
with different commuting behaviors. At this moment, immigrants arriving in Hong Kong during different
transportation studies intersect with immigration studies time periods. At the same time, while much literature
in which immigrants’ adaption to natives’ commuting has focused on the Chinese immigration experience in
behaviors represents the formers’ transportation Hong Kong, non-Chinese immigrants have continuously
assimilation, a rising field in immigration studies. been under-researched in all aspects, including their
transportation assimilation, even if they also consisted of
Transportation assimilation is closely linked to
several classical immigration theories, especially spatial a sizable amount. Capitalizing on the Hong Kong census
data that include representative transportation data for a
assimilation theories. An established thread of scholarly long period, for example, pooled Hong Kong Censuses
works has focused on the relationship between spatial from 2001 to 2016, our research is unique by being the first
assimilation and social integration, in which most argued study on transportation assimilation in an Asian context.
that an important outcome of socioeconomic advancement By analyzing Hong Kong immigrants’ habits of minibus
for minorities is residential integration within mainstream taking, such as the immigrant workforce’s work journeys,
society (Bell, 1954; Benassi et al., 2023; Massey & Denton, this study contributes to the current literature by broadening
1985). However, since the previous literature usually the geographical and social contexts and incorporating
focused on traditional immigrant countries, it would a dynamic mode of transportation assimilation into the
be interesting to see whether similar findings persist analysis. In the next section, we provide a brief history of
in a compact and non-traditionally immigrant region, minibus development in Hong Kong, which explains why
such as Hong Kong. Similarly, the previous literature we consider taking the minibus, a unique transportation
on transportation assimilation was mainly situated in mode in Hong Kong, as an important step of transportation
countries with large immigrant populations in the Global assimilation for immigrants of all ethnic backgrounds.
North, such as North American and European countries,
in which scholars conducted cross-sectional analysis on 1.1. The history and development of minibuses in
different ethnic groups’ adaptation to the locals’ modes of Hong Kong
transportation (Beige & Axhausen, 2012; Blumenberg & Hong Kong is weaved into a dense web of public
Shiki, 2007; Haustein et al., 2019; Klinger & Lanzendorf, transportation that runs twenty-four-seven. Today, there
2016; Smart, 2015; Tal & Handy, 2010; Valenzuela Jr et al., are seven major types of public transportation in Hong
2005; Welsch et al., 2018; Xu, 2018). Due to the nature Kong, which are railways, franchised buses, non-franchises
of the data, except for some interview-based studies, few buses, minibuses, taxis, ferries, and trams. According to
large-scale quantitative studies have looked into the long- the transportation statistics provided by the Transport
term adaptation process of immigrants’ transportation Department in 2019, minibuses consist of the third largest
behaviors, which misses transportation adaptation as a transportation choice (Transport Department, 2020).
dynamic process. In addition, similar to immigration Minibuses cover both urban and suburban areas. Although
literature, transportation assimilation research has mostly small in size, as shown in Figure 1, minibuses are the
focused on countries in the Global North, which left other more expensive options compared to franchised buses.
societies in other continents experiencing large quantities According to the latest bus fare set by the Transportation
of migration inflows under-researched, such as Hong Department, the caps for minibus fees were $5.7 for 3KM,
Kong. $8.3 for 5KM, $10.9 for 9KM, and $14.3 for 15KM, while
Hong Kong is a popular destination for migrants from the corresponding franchised fares for the same distance
all over the world. In particular, Chinese who were born were $4.1, $5.2$, $8.1, and $9.4, respectively (Transport
in mainland China constitute the majority of immigrants Department, 2020). The minibus fare is approximately
in Hong Kong. According to the 2016 census conducted 1.5 times the fare of the franchised bus.
by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative To better explain the complexity and nuances of
Region (S.A.R.), Chinese immigrants consisted of minibus taking, we briefly describe the process of getting
approximately 2 million or 23% of the total population, on and off a minibus. Two types of minibuses are prevalent
while the corresponding numbers for non-Chinese today, which are green minibuses and red minibuses. While
immigrants were 0.58 million or 8% of the total population green minibuses have clear bus stops, some red minibuses
(Census and Statistics Department, 2017). Given a large do not have bus stop podiums for each stop, and they stop
number of Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong and the anywhere when requested. A passenger needs to check

Volume 9 Issue 1 (2023) 31 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0386