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28
Enclosure No. (2).
HONG KONG TRAMWAYS LIMITED,
HONG KONG, 24th February, 1928.
No. 169.
29
Enclosure No. (3).
POLICE HEADQUARTERS, HONG KONG, 7th March, 1928.
THE HON. THE CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE,
HONG KONG,
SIR,
I beg to inform you that the Board of Directors of this Company intend to order six motor omnibuses which will be 25 seaters for first class passengers only.
We propose to run these buses on such route or routes as may be agreed with the Government either in Hong Kong, Kowloon or the New Territories.
We are still anxious to run the service via Caroline Road, Morrison Gap Road, Queen's Road East, Queen's Road Central and Queen's Road West in accordance with our application to Government dated February 12th 1925 but there is another service we now seek powers to operate. This is between Taikoo & Blake Pier by the route marked red on the accompanying map. This route would serve Quarry Bay, Tsat Tsz Mui Bathing Club, the Yacht Club, the Polo Club, the Lee Theatre, the Craigengower Club, the Police Club, the Civil Service Club and the Royal Naval Hospital.
Although six months will probably clapse before the buses can be delivered in Hong Kong I hope we may receive your sanction to the operation of this service at as early a date as possible so that we may make certain preliminary arrangements.
I am directed to refer to your letter of the 18th ultimo and to say that the Board concurs in most of your reasons for desiring a motor bus service along Queen's Road. To use your own words “A number of new factors have come to light since 1925" when our proposal to run beses along Queen's Road was turned down and as one of these new factors is that buses have been successfully using Queen's Road East for many months it is felt that the Government should now give us the permission we sought three years ago to operate the Queen's Road service.
The Board feels that if it had had buses actually available you might have given such permission two years ago or when it appeared that the Government's reasons for withholding consent to our application of February 1925 no longer held good. Hence the Board's intention to place a preliminary order for vehicles which it is hoped you will allow us to put into service towards the end of the present year.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(sd.) L. C. F. BELLAMY,
General Manager,
HONG KONG TRAMWAYS LIMITED.
SIR,
In reply to your letter of the 24th February last I note that you intend to order six motor omnibuses which will be twenty-five seaters for first class passengers only. As I have no intimation at present from the Government as to whether these buses will be allowed to run you will naturally understand that you are ordering them at your own risk. The question of Motor Bus Services is coming up for decision very shortly and I hope to be in a position to give you a reply before very long. However, in the meantime I wish it to be understood that any orders you give for buses are given entirely on your own initiative and that so far as I am concerned you are in no way authorised to put them on the Streets of Hong Kong at present.
With reference to your further application dealing with the route, Taikoo to Blake Pier, I will endeavour to deal with this matter after the Governor-in-Council has considered the services in Hong Kong and the allotment of them.
THE GENERAL MANAGER,
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(sd.) E. D. C. WOLFE, Captain Superintendent of Police.
HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, LTD.
Enclosure No. 3 (a).
HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, LIMITED,
HONG KONG, 10th March, 1928.
THE HON. THE CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT Of Police.
HONG KONG.
SIR,
I beg to acknowledge your letter No. 169 on the 7th instant.
It is realized that we may not operate motor buses without your sanction and the half dozen vehicles it is proposed to order could probably not be delivered in Hong Kong for some months after the Governor-in-Council had made his decision.
We have therefore settled on the make of bus and have supplied all particulars to the makers to whom we have arranged to cable the actual order if and when we hear from you that our application has been favourably considered.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
L. C. F. BELLAMY, General Manager,
HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, LIMITED.
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