SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1975
HELP SAVE YOUR AIRPORT BUS
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THE AIRPORT BUS SERVICE, ROUTE 200, IS BEING MODIFIED AND THE FARES REDUCED FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS IN A FINAL ATTEMPT BY KMB TO ATTRACT MORE PASSENGERS. IF THESE LATEST MOVES FAIL, THE COMPANY WILL STOP THE SERVICE FROM JANUARY 16.
STARTING FROM TOMORROW (MONDAY), FARES WILL BE REDUCED FROM THE PREVIOUS $3 TO $2 BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND HONG KONG ISLAND. A $1 FARE WILL APPLY ON ALL JOURNEYS AFTER LEAVING THE CROSS- HARBOUR TUNNEL.
IN KOWLOON THE ROUTE HAS BEEN MODIFIED SO AS TO OPERATE ALONG CHATHAM ROAD, MA TAU WAI ROAD, CHI KIANG STREET AND TO KWA WAN ROAD. ON HONG KONG ISLAND THE ROUTE REMAINS UNCHANGED.
ROUTE 200 BEGAN IN MARCH 1975 BUT DESPITE MUCH PUBLICITY BY KMB, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE USED THE LUXURY COACH SERVICE. MANY IMPROVE- MENTS HAVE SINCE BEEN MADE, INCLUDING LUGGAGE COMPARTMENTS ON BUSES, BETTER SIGN POSTING AND EVEN AN INFORMATION AND TICKET COUNTER IN THE ARRIVAL HALL WHICH ALSO ACCEPTS FOREIGN CURRENCY.
BUT EVEN THESE LATEST MOVES ARE SEEN BY MANY AS NOT HAVING MUCH MORE CHANCE THAN THE PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO ATTRACT PASSENGERS. SOME TIME AGO THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAD HOPED THAT THE BUSES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PICK UP PASSENGERS IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE MAIN ARRIVAL LOUNGE BUT THIS PROVED IMPRACTICABLE. INSTEAD THE AIRPORT PICK-UP IS A FEW YARDS TO THE WEST,
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT IT WAS NOW UP TO THE PUBLIC TO USE THE SERVICE IF THEY WANTED TO SEE IT CONTINUE. +IT'S ALL VERY WELL TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE PRESS MOANING AT THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE SERVICE, BUT THE HARD FACTS ARE THAT AN AVERAGE OF ONLY SIX PEOPLE ARE CARRIED ON EACH TRIP. SO HOW CAN ANYONE EXPECT XMB TO GO ON PROVIDING AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY COACH SERVICE ON SUCH AN UNPROFITABLE BASIS.+ THIS REPRESENTS A LOSS TO KMB OF $1,200 A DAY.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT IT WAS IN FACT THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WHICH HAD ENCOURAGED KMB TO START THE AIRPORT SERVICE. +WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO HELP MAKE IT A SUCCESS. THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE SERVICE WILL BE A LOSS NOT ONLY TO LOCAL PEOPLE BUT ALSO TO VISITORS AND OUR GOOD IMAGE OVERSEAS.+
THE SPOKESMAN URGED ANYONE TRAVELLING TO OR FROM THE VICINITY OF KAI TAK TO GIVE THE COACH A TRY AND HOPEFULLY +PLAY A PART IN KEEPING THE SERVICE GOING.+
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