COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
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of New Territories taxis which had remained at 738 since their re-introduction in 1976 was also reviewed, and a recommendation that a further 100 licences be issued was implemented in 1980.
Both categories of taxi applied for and received approval to raise their fares during the year, and the increases were implemented in October. The new rates for Hong Kong and Kowloon taxis became $4 for the first two kilometres and 50 cents for each subsequent 0.25 kilometre, while for New Territories taxis the first two kilometres cost $2.40 with 30 cents for each subsequent 0.25 kilometre.
Mass Transit Railway
In February, 1980, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra officially opened the Mass Transit Railway by unveiling a commemmorative plaque at the concourse level of Chater Station, on Hong Kong Island. The section of the railway from Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, through the immersed tube to Admiralty and Chater stations, was the last section of the railway (known as the Modified Initial System) to be opened. The first section, between Kwun Tong and Shek Kip Mei in Kowloon, was opened to the public on October 1, 1979, followed by the Nathan Road stations as far as Tsim Sha Tsui during December, 1979.
Since the railway began running, until December, 1980, it had been used by some 180 million people with daily passenger volumes running at around 600,000. However, on two occasions during the year the figure of 600,000 was surpassed on February 16 (during Chinese New Year) when 795,000 people were carried, and on September 23 (Mid-Autumn Festival) when the total number of travellers was 701,000. To meet the steady increase in demand, the corporation began introducing six-car trains and at the end of the year all trains in daily use were made up of six cars.
The majority of people using the railway purchased single-ride tickets although there was a growing demand for the multi-ride ticket, which initially provided 10 rides of each of the fare denomination values. A 50-ride ticket will be introduced in the new year and the corporation intends to introduce a 'stored-value' ticketing system later in 1981.
During 1980, there were eight major incidents which caused delays of one hour or more in the railway's service. These arose from teething problems with the new equipment which were steadily overcome as the year progressed. Despite these problems, however, the record for trains arriving at a destination within two minutes of the scheduled time rose from 94 per cent for the first few months to 98 per cent at year's end.
The Modified Initial System of the railway comprises 15 stations, of which 12 are under- ground and three overhead. It serves the East Kowloon area, North Kowloon, Nathan Road, and the Central District of Hong Kong Island. The railway was built several weeks ahead of schedule and within the budgeted construction cost of $5,800 million. It is anticipated that the Modified Initial System will carry up to one million people per day before the mid-1980s.
At the end of 1980, work was well advanced on an extension of the present system to the growing industrial town of Tsuen Wan. The Tsuen Wan extension is 10.5 kilometres in length and branches from the Modified Initial System at the north end of Nathan Road and then runs in a westerly direction to Tsuen Wan. It incorporates 10 stations and is being built at a cost of $4,100 million.
More than 70 per cent of the civil engineering work has been completed on the extension, which will probably come into operation ahead of schedule during 1982. It will cater for some 800,000 passengers per day.