Hong Kong trams go totally French

The beloved streetcars that have traversed the length of Hong Kong's northern coastline since 1904, will become wholly owned by French firm Veolia Transport China beginning next month. Wharf Transport Investments will sell its remaining 50 per cent stake to Veolia who has promised to preserve the heritage value of the trams.

Hong Kong trams are also known for being the city's cheapest form of transport at a flat rate of HK$2 per ride. Some passengers fear price hikes loom in the near future as Veolia plans to re-vamp the trams.

"Our ridership has been decreasing bit by bit over the years," said Hong Kong Tramways Managing Director Bruno Charrade said to The Standard. "We are already such a cheap form of transport, so obviously they have left the tram not because of the price, but because of the service. So we will be focusing on improvements, not price."

Some of the expected changes to the tram include maintenance and upgrading of tram tracks, improvements to the overhead line system with better wires, and increasing the frequency of trams.

Some of the best images of Hong Kong's trams and their trackways are those of Flickr user HK Man. The photographer's jarring then-and-now comparisons of Hong Kong's landmarks show the island's shocking changes in the past century. Some make you nostalgic for a time when life moved at an average of about 10km/hour, such as this photo.

For those too far away to experience the last rides of a non-French owned tram, or too tight to shell out the two bucks, check out below HK resident Masato Kajimoto's POV trip from Kennedy Town to Happy Valley. He put the video together from thousands of images.