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review the decision to grant monopolies to these two companies. Public transport is a public matter, and should be under the control of this Council.
For years the bus companies have failed to provide even a reasonable service, especially at peak hours. To go on making suggestions, and arguing with these companies is pointless, as they are unwilling to forego even a little of their profits. The worst services are those in the poorer areas, though in fact there is scarcely a route that is anything like adequate. In the resettlement areas, the lives of the people have been uprooted. They often have to travel long distances to their places of work. Each one wastes hours of his daily life waiting on the bus masters. Those who can hail a taxi when they wish, or those who have their own cars, cannot possibly conceive the anxiety and misery of waiting day after day for buses, losing time, missing appointments, even losing their jobs.
The bad relationship between gatekeepers and passengers would disappear if the companies really gave us a bus service. But this is now impossible, because it is obvious that the bus companies are unwilling: there remains only the removal of the monopoly, and this must be done. I am not going to contradict Dr. LEE about his monorail—I think that is an ideal for the future but I do call upon Government to make other arrangements for our public road transport, by allowing other companies to operate full-sized buses. With adequate public bus services, the need for private cars, ‘pak pais', and school buses would be reduced, thus minimizing traffic problems. We cannot wait for any more discussions, suggestions, commissions of inquiry and so on: these companies are only playing for time.
I have spoken of education, resettlement, and transport. These are all matters of vital importance to the whole community, and I call upon Government to bring all of them quickly under this Council, the only body with public representation in the Colony. To make the work of this Council more effective, we must have more representatives of the public on this Council; moreover, we need to get behind the closed doors of the Legislative Council.
It was not my original intention to speak of hawkers, but the happenings of the past week or two cannot be overlooked. I ask my good friend Mr. BERNACCHI to excuse my reference to hawkers. I am not going to defend the untidiness, the dirt, the obstruction of the pedlar hawkers. I do oppose the way in which some of these poorest and most underprivileged people struggling for a livelihood are badgered about by police, hawker control and in some cases, squatter control units. This problem cannot be resolved by a blind policy of sweeping them from the streets as though they were garbage. Each hawker represents a family. By all means let us think for them, suggest improvements, educate, even punish where necessary. But to deny them a livelihood, no—I shall never agree to that!
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I support the motion. (Applause).
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, I was rather amused by what Mr. SALES has said in his opening remarks at his thinking about or perhaps fear that the Elected Members are on a sort of half honey-moon or half marriage with the Official Members. I must point out to Mr. SALES that that is not legal. (Laughter).
MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification, the term I used was "unholy wedlock between Government and the Elected Members". (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- The term is illegal, Mr. Chairman, and the thought is unethical. But I would like to take that as a compliment to the Elected Members because we believe in working together in a team spirit, and if the Appointed Members feel like that, then I think we have to be more subtle in showing that we are willing to work closely together with the Official Members. I would also like to point out to the Appointed Members that we are co-operating with them too. After all, Mr. BERNACCHI has said that he would support Mr. SALES in having the Commissioner of Police on the Urban Council; Mr. Li Yiu-bor has given his strong support to Mr. SALES in having an indoor stadium in Kowloon and I am very happy to tell this Council that I am grateful to Mr. Wilson WANG's offer of free time in case I go beyond my allotted twenty minutes.
Now, you have been in this Council for several years, Mr. Chairman. We enjoy having you here and you will recall that in the past few years I have raised the question of constitutional progress for Hong Kong at each Conventional Debate. But this year many of my colleagues have already spoken fully on the subject and I shall therefore address the House only on a number of other important subjects.
It may be surmised that the Urban Council can eventually evolve into a sort of House of Representatives, since in this Council there are eight Elected Members, and no doubt in time the number of Elected Members will increase.
Although the scope of the Urban Council is still narrow and limited, the Council's members are at least given the opportunity to speak forth their views on subjects outside Council's scope at this Annual Conventional Debate.
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