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TRANSPORT
covered 271 million kilometres. KMB's current franchise extends until August 31, 1997. Fares ranged from $1 to $23 for non air-conditioned services, and from $24 to $30.60 for air-conditioned services. Passengers aged 65 and over are entitled to concessionary fares on every KMB route, except the Airbus services.
To relieve peak-hour congestion on the MTR along the Nathan Road Corridor, KMB operated a total of 27 air-conditioned bus routes during the year from the New Territories and North Kowloon to Hong Kong Island and South Kowloon. These services, run jointly with CMB or Citybus, helped keep the MTR passenger flows along Nathan Road at acceptable and safe levels.
Bus services on Hong Kong Island are provided by two operators: (CMB) and Citybus. CMB operates 86 routes on the island. It was granted a new three-year franchise from September 1, 1995, although 14 routes (including two cross-harbour routes) were re-allocated to Citybus.
In September 1995, CMB started its first airport service, Route A20, operating between Central and the airport. At the end of 1995, CMB's registered fleet comprised 853 double-deckers and 30 single-deckers, of which 111 double-deckers and 30 single-deckers were air-conditioned. They made 191 million passenger trips and travelled 44.3 million kilometres during the year. Fares ranged from $1.90 to $30. Concessionary fares are offered to passengers aged 65 and over on all CMB Hong Kong Island routes.
Citybus began franchised operations on September 1, 1993, and in 1995 took over 14 Hong Kong Island routes previously serviced by CMB. Citybus operates 47 routes on the island and, jointly with KMB, eight Cross-Harbour Tunnel routes.
At the end of the year, Citybus had a registered fleet of 338 franchised double- decker and 22 single-decker buses, of which 242 double-deckers and all single deckers were air-conditioned. Fares ranged from $2 to $3.50 for non air-conditioned trips, and from $2.40 to $15.50 for air-conditioned services.
Passengers aged 60 and over are entitled to concessionary fares on Hong Kong Island routes, except the night bus and recreation services. In addition, passengers aged 65 or over are charged half of the adult single fare for cross-harbour services. The company's franchised bus services made 88 million passenger trips and travelled 17.11 million kilometres during the year.
The New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited (NLB) operates eight franchised routes on Lantau Island seven regular, and one recreational - with a fleet of 69 single-decker buses. Most NLB services connect with the ferries at Mui Wo.
NLB's average weekday patronage in 1995 was 10 658 passengers. Boosted by recreational traffic, the average patronage on Sundays and public holidays was 19 339 passengers. Fares ranged from $1.20 to $21. Passengers aged 65 or above are entitled to a half-fare concession on most NLB franchised routes. The concession is not available on routes to Po Lin Monastery at Ngong Ping on Sundays and public holidays.
To meet peak recreational demand, in June 1991 NLB introduced a special service between Mui Wo and Po Lin Monastery, using non-franchised, air-conditioned coaches ferried to Lantau at weekends. This special service has been extended to Saturdays to cater for passenger demand after the opening of the Tian Tan Buddha statue at Ngong Ping. The average patronage on this special service was 4816