thereto. In essence, the amendment aims at strengthening the supervisory role of this Council on any variations or alterations to the boundaries of the TSA by requiring the notice of such variations to be tabled before in this Council for approval under section 34 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance.
Sir, during our Ad Hoc Group meeting with the KCRC management and the Administration to finalize the proposed amendments to the Bill, Members were informed by the KCRC that the proposed amendments would not be made without consequences and that a letter from the KCRC had been sent to the Transport Department informing the Administration that the KCRC, as a result of the proposed limitation to its franchise, was re-considering
(i)
the viability of future plans to extend the LRT to link up with other mass transport systems;
(ii)
the viability of future expansion of the LRT
within the TSA; and
(iii)
claiming compensation against the Government for the amendments to be made.
Despite repeated assurances by the Transport Department and the KCRC to members of the District Boards and the LegCo Ad Hoc Group that the KCRC, being a public corporation, will, in exercising its powers, have regard to the reasonable requirements of the public transport system of Hong Kong and the efficiency, economy and safety of operation expected of its services and facilities, I personally believe that the statement made by the KCRC to reconsider all future expansion programme in view of the proposed amendments amounts to intimidation to Councillors who are