(b) to develop an appropriate Public Light Bus (PLB)
system.
The new route networks, which are being developed in consultation with the franchised operators, relate to the provision of feeder services for the MTR, to the modification of present services which duplicate the MTR and to the release of bus capacity for expanding and improving services elsewhere. The PLB system which is being developed reflects the views of the Government and the franchised operators that PLB services should be reduced when and where mass transit (i. e. MTR and bus) capacity is brought into operation and increased in other areas, such as the developing parts of the New Territories, where more services are needed. In this way, the most congesting public transport service (the PLBs) will be reduced in the most intensively used urban corridors and the least congesting (the MTR and franchised buses) will take over some of the passengers presently carried by PLBs. Members' advice will be sought later in the year on specific proposals for restructuring bus, ferry and PLB routes. The memorandum on this subject will complement the one already mentioned which will review the manage- ment and operational efficiency of the two major bus companies.
7
The last major increases in bus fares were in 1971/72 when, for instance, the typical urban Kowloon fare was set at 30 cents and the cross-harbour fare at $1.00. The companies have been able to maintain fares at these levels largely because of the burgeoning demand for public transport which they have met only through over- crowding on old and generally under-maintained buses. The companies are, however, already facing increases in operating costs (e.g. fuel, wages and spare parts) and any significant improvement in their maintenance and safety standards will inevitably also add to costs. Another factor to be borne in mind is the need for the bus companies to catch up on their programmes for investment in new buses. These programmes have fallen behind in recent years, mainly because of the uncertainty caused by the prospective opening of the MTR. The DIPTRA NS project has already gone a long way to remove this uncertainty by showing that the demand for bus services will still be high and growing. And, given that the average age of the companies' fleets is now unacceptably high, they are beginning to show a greater willingness to invest in more buses both for replace- ment and to expand their fleets.