COMMUNICATIONS
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one hand and the transport companies on the other with regard to the planning of their services to meet present and future needs. In August an officer from the Road Research Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Research in Britain arrived to head a unit which is conducting a full scale survey of passenger transport.
An important function of the committee, which comprises an unofficial chairman and an equal number of official and unofficial members, is to provide a channel for the expression of public opinion about passenger transport services.
Bus services in Kowloon and the New Territories are operated by the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited. At the end of 1964, their fleet totalled 946 vehicles, comprising 465 double-deck buses, 474 single-deck buses, and seven tour coaches, after the addition during the year of 84 buses (40 double-deck and 44 single- deck). Passenger carrying capacity was 62,056. During the year orders for 100 double-deck and 35 single-deck buses were placed. Early in the year a decision was taken to equip all double-deck buses with power operated doors, and conversion of 316 of the 465 double-deck buses was accomplished by the end of 1964.
During the year 546.7 million passengers were carried and 40.3 million miles were covered by the company's buses, increases of 31.6 and 6.13 per cent over the previous year. At the end of the year, the company was operating a total of 64 routes (38 in Kowloon, 25 in the New Territories and one on Lantau Island). This was an increase of two routes over the previous year. With the addi- tional new buses many existing services were also improved by increased frequencies and extended hours of service.
Bus services on Hong Kong Island are run by the China Motor Bus Company Limited which has 394 vehicles, comprising 335 single-deck, 56 double-deck buses and three public cars. The total passenger carrying capacity of buses was 22,505. In 1964 they carried 158.7 million passengers and covered 15.3 million miles, an increase of 11 and seven per cent respectively over last year. Orders for 80 more buses were placed during the year. A new depot, opened in 1963, is in operation at North Point and work has commenced on a new garage at Chai Wan. The company was operating a total of 31 routes at the end of the year including two holiday services and three special services on race days.