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TRANSPORT
The largest, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB), operates 178 daily bus routes in Kowloon and the New Territories, and 20 cross-harbour routes jointly with the China Motor Bus Company Limited (CMB). During the year, 179 double-deck buses were added to the fleet, which at year-end totalled 2 441 buses comprising 2 254 double-deckers, 124 single-deckers and 63 coaches.
Bus services continued to be reorganised in several areas to cope with electrified train services of the KCR with a view to further strengthening feeder services to KCR stations. The increase in KCR capacity significantly improved bus services along the KCR corridor as well as bus services as a whole. The main improvements are reduced overcrowding and shorter passenger waiting times.
With the exception of cross-harbour routes, bus fares for KMB have remained unchanged since the last revision in April 1983. Fares on urban routes range from 60 cents to $1.20 whereas fares on rural routes range from 60 cents to $3.50. Higher fares are charged on the express bus and coach services. During the year, a total of 1 070 million passengers were carried by KMB and 170 million kilometres were travelled - increases of nine per cent and nine per cent respectively over the previous year.
The China Motor Bus Company Limited (CMB) operates 84 daily bus routes on Hong Kong Island and 20 joint cross-harbour routes. In 1984, its fleet of 1 076 double- deckers, including 48 triple-axle buses having a capacity of around 170 passengers, carried 363 million passengers and travelled 55 million kilometres.
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Following the completion of the Island Eastern Corridor between Causeway Bay and Tai Koo Shing in June, five new express routes were introduced on a temporary basis. These routes provide passengers with a faster link between the Eastern and Central districts at premium fares, initially set at $2 and $2.50 for journeys to and from Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan respectively.
Bus fares for CMB and for cross-harbour services operated jointly by CMB and KMB were revised in January. CMB fares range from 80 cents to $1.50 on urban routes, and from 80 cents to $2.50 on suburban routes. Other than the cross-harbour airport coach services, all night services, recreational routes to Sha Tin Racecourse and the longest route linking Sha Tin and Wah Fu Estate, all the routes between Hong Kong and Kowloon have a flat fare of $2.20 with a section fare of $1 after crossing the harbour.
During the year, a further review of CMB's maintenance programmes and its inspection procedures began. This followed a serious bus accident in January.
On Lantau Island, the New Lantau Bus Company (1973) Limited (NLB) operates a fleet of 57 buses, nine of which are double-deckers, over eight routes. In 1984, NLB buses carried an average of 7 000 passengers each weekday. Recreational demand increased this figure to an average of 16 000 on Sundays and public holidays. The year also saw the extension of the one-man-operation system to the whole of NLB's network, completing the programme of progressive conversion aimed at improving the cost-efficiency of the company's operations.
Franchised bus services are supplemented by a fleet of 2 210 non-franchised public buses which are operated for hire on a contract basis, as well as 186 private buses operated by private housing developments and factories to meet their own needs. The Transport Department has licensed a network of residential coach services to serve residents of outlying areas whose needs cannot fully be met by franchised transport. In 1984, these services carried a total of 2.4 million passengers.