TRANSPORT
151
benefits of courtesy when using public transport, with particular emphasis on safety. The courtesy message was conveyed to the public in various ways, including animated television advertisements, posters, banners, leaflets and T-shirts.
Construction work on the corporation's third line, the Island Line, reached a peak during the year. All major civil engineering contracts for work associated with this line were awarded and let at fixed prices and in Hong Kong dollars. The cost of the Island Line in 1986 dollar terms is estimated at under HK$11 billion. Civil engineering work is about 60 per cent complete.
The Island Line, along the island's northern shore, will link Chai Wan and Sheung Wan and comprise 14 stations. The greater part of the line, Chai Wan to Admiralty, will be completed in mid-1985, with the remainder from Admiralty to Sheung Wan in September 1986. Close liaison is maintained between the corporation and government departments to solve problems and handle complaints resulting from the construction work. Compensa- tion payments for property resumptions and affected business due to the first two lines were $329 million, while for the Island Line the figure at the end of 1983 was $405 million. The Island Line is being financed in a similar manner to the first two lines, by a mixture of export credits covering construction and equipment contracts placed with overseas companies, property development profits and commercial borrowings. Three residential and commercial developments associated with the Tsuen Wan Extension were completed during the year.
By the end of 1983, the MTR rail network was served by 38 feeder bus services terminating at stations. To encourage motorists to make use of the system, multi-storey car parks are provided at MTR stations at Kwai Fong and Tsuen Wan.
Buses
More than 300 bus routes are operated by three private companies under franchises granted by the government on a route basis. Together, they carry 3.7 million passengers a day.
The largest, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB), operates 177 daily bus routes in Kowloon and the New Territories, and 15 cross-harbour routes jointly with the China Motor Bus Company Limited (CMB). During the year, 100 double-deck buses were added to the fleet which at year-end totalled 2 380 buses, comprising 2 150 double-deckers, 140 single-deck buses and 90 coaches. Bus services were reorganised in several areas following the completion of electrification of the KCR with a view to strengthening feeder bus services to KCR stations. The increase in KCR capacity significantly improved services to the public and bus passengers along the KCR corridor generally fell by 20 per cent. The easing of pressure on these services has brought benefits in terms of reduced overcrowding and shorter waiting times.
Bus fares for KMB were revised in April. Fares on urban routes range from 60 cents to $1.20 and on rural routes from 70 cents to $3.50. All cross-harbour routes with the exception of the airport coach service, recreational routes to Sha Tin Racecourse and a route linking Sha Tin Market with Wah Fu Estate, have a flat fare of $2 with a section fare of $1 after crossing the tunnel. Higher fares are charged on the express coach services. During the year, a total of 980 million passengers were carried by KMB and 160 million kilometres were operated – increases of five per cent and 10 per cent respectively over the previous year.
―
The China Motor Bus Company Limited (CMB) operates 80 daily bus routes on Hong Kong Island and 15 joint cross-harbour routes. In 1983, its fleet of 1 090 double-deckers carried 350 million passengers and operated 52 million kilometres. Development of the