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major public transport companies operating scheduled services under ordinances which grant monopoly rights but require the provision of adequate services. These are: The China Motor Bus Co and the Hong Kong Tramways Co which operate scheduled services on Hong Kong Island; the Kowloon Motor Bus Co which has the exclusive scheduled bus franchise in Kowloon and the New Territories; the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Co and the Star Ferry Co which operate ferry services on specific routes across the harbour. Appendix XXXVIII lists the traffic carried annually by each of the public transport undertakings between the years 1959 and 1969.
Scheduled bus services in Kowloon and the New Territories are operated by the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited which at the end of 1969 had a fleet of 970 vehicles. The significant . development for KMB during the year was the initiation of a large programme to re-equip its bus fleet. At the end of 1969 there were either on order, under construction or newly introduced into service 465 new buses. One hundred and fifty of these are single-deck buses and 315 are double-deck.
Scheduled bus services on Hong Kong Island are operated by the China Motor Bus Company Limited which at the end of 1969 had 487 vehicles. Also on the Island, Hong Kong Tramways Limited operate an electric tramway service. The total fleet is 162 tramcars and 22 single-deck trailers. Through the city area the frequency is a car every 30 seconds in each direction.
As from September 1, 1969 new categories of licensed vehicles known as public and private light buses were introduced. By the end of the year 3,458 public light buses and 1,088 private light buses were registered. Public light buses (minibuses) plying for hire are free to set their own routes and fares but there are certain areas or stretches of congested roads where they are not allowed to operate or where they are forbidden to set down or pick up passengers. Private light buses are not allowed to carry fare-paying passengers unless the buses are owned and operated by schools or other educational establishments. The estimated number of passen- gers carried by public light buses during the first four months of their operation is well over half a million per day.
Taxis are licensed for specific use on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon or the New Territories, and fares vary with each area.