Review of Maintenance
At the request of the Government, a Working Group of the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) conducted a review of CMB maintenance and made a number of recommendations concerning working practices, training of staff and workshop facilities. Since early 1985, the Company has been re-organising various aspects of the maintenance function and has now implemented most of the recommendations of the TAC. After six months of monitoring of the Company's progress, the TAC have advised the Company that they are pleased to note the considerable improvement at the depots, including the purchase of new equipment and the upgrading of working conditions, and that the Company has steadily raised the safety standards of the buses through the establishment of a Quality Control Section, improved staff supervision and training and through improvements in the system of servicing. The Company has also engaged a consultant to examine the span of control of personnel in the Engineering Department and to review the documentation used in the maintenance system. It is expected that by March 1986 the re-organised maintenance systems will meet with the approval of the Government.
Future Outlook
Improvements will be made to bus services in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island after services along the north shore corridor have been re-arranged to take account of the effects of the Chai Wan to Admiralty section of the MTR Island Line.
Also, improvements in the cross-harbour bus network are expected to be introduced following the completion of the Government's study of cross-harbour bus, ferry and MTR services in a few months' time.
A further rationalisation of services along the north shore corridor will be necessary in the Summer of 1986, when the opening of the Admiralty to Sheung Wan section of the MTR Island Line will lead inevitably to further abstraction of bus passengers.
Looking further ahead, the Company has recently submitted to the Government a forward planning programme covering the period up to 1990. The main features of this programme are the provision of new bus services to new housing developments at Kornhill, Heng Fa Chuen, Siu Sai Wan, Lei Tung Estate, Kellett Bay and Telegraph Bay.
Appreciation
The two directors appointed by the Governor under the Public Bus Services Ordinance were the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. P.F. Leeds, J.P. and the Deputy Secretary for Transport, Mr. Christopher WONG Kim-kam J.P. On behalf of the shareholders and my fellow directors I would like to record my appreciation of their participation in the decision-making process.
In conclusion, I would like to thank our loyal staff for their dedication and hard work during the year.
Hong Kong, 19th November 1985
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NGAN Shing-kwan Chairman