Tourists, bus enthusiasts and panda-lovers are being invited to take a ride on an open-top double-decker set to ply sightseeing routes in the city.

Citybus on Friday introduced a newly re-painted vehicle featuring the six pandas living in Hong Kong.

The bus will be used on five sightseeing routes, including two new ones to be launched on March 17.

For less than HK$50, travellers can go to tourism hotspots such as Repulse Bay and Aberdeen, or travel on the existing lines between Tsim Sha Tsui, Central and West Kowloon Cultural District.

Transport minister Mable Chan said the bus company has worked with Southern District Council, Ocean Park and community groups to come up with the new routes.

"Not only will the bus take passengers around, those on board can also feel they're on a lively, cute and happy giant panda bus, which will blend into the scenery of different districts," she said at a press conference.

"This not only puts into practice 'tourism everywhere', it's also 'pandas everywhere'. This injects a dose of vibrancy into different areas."

The minister said that last year, the company's open-top bus routes carried around 560,000 passengers.

The managing director of Citybus, Richard Hall, said the new routes offer stunning views around Hong Kong's shorelines.

"These two new routes will run along the dramatic coastline of Hong Kong Island, including the famous Victoria Harbour, the iconic beaches surrounding Southern District, with the incredible sunsets to be seen along the shoreline," he said.

The firm said it might paint pandas on more of its buses in future, depending on demand.