TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1976.
PLBS TO HAVE NEW-STYLE DESTINATION BOARDS
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PLANS PUT FORWARD BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT FOR ALL NEW MINIBUSES TO BE FITTED WITH CENTRAL ROOF-MOUNTED DESTINATION INDICATOR BOARDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY PLB ASSOCIATIONS.
THIS FOLLOWED A MEETING YESTERDAY (MONDAY) BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ASSOCIATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT.
THE DESTINATION BOARDS, SIMILAR TO THOSE OF FRANCHISED BUSES, WILL BE INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURERS OF ALL NEW MINIBUSES
IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG FROM AUGUST 1, 1976. THIS FOLLOWS 18 MONTHS OF TALKS BETWEEN THE MANUFACTURERS' AGENTS AND THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.
THE BOARDS, WHICH WILL BE ILLUMINATED AT NIGHT, WILL HAVE A ROLLER BLIND, WOUND FROM INSIDE THE CAB, WITH THE DESTINATION IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, COLOUR CODED BY AREA. DARK BLUE FOR ROUTES ON HONG KONG ISLAND- GREEN FOR KOWLOON- YELLOW FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES AND RED FOR CROSS-HARBOUR ROUTES.
MINIBUSES LICENSED BEFORE AUGUST 1976 WILL BE GIVEN UNTIL AUGUST THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO INSTALL THE NEW-STYLE BOARDS. BUT DURING THE INTERIM THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DISPLAY MORE THAN ONE DESTINATION BOARD WHICH MUST BE AT THE CENTRE BASE OF THE WINDSCREEN.
DURING YESTERDAY'S MEETING, THE PLB ASSOCIATIONS ACCEPTED THAT THEIR EARLIER THREE-POINT PLAN FOR NATHAN ROAD DURING THE METRO CONSTRUCTION, WHICH WAS WIDELY PUBLICISED IN THE PRESS A WEEK AGO, HAD IN FACT BEEN CONSIDERED AT LENGTH BY THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.
FIRSTLY THE SUGGESTION FOR PLB STANDS IN NATHAN ROAD WAS ACCEPTED BY THE PLB OPERATORS AS BEING QUITE IMPRACTICABLE CONSIDERING THE EXPECTED CONGESTION WHEN HALF THE WIDTH OF NATHAN ROAD IS CLOSED IN MARCH 1976.
THE SECOND POINT, OF PROHIBITING ALL PARKING IN PORTLAND STREET SO THAT PLBS COULD PICK UP PASSENGERS THERE, WAS ACCEPTED AND HAD ALREADY BEEN PLANNED IN CERTAIN SECTIONS.
THE FINAL POINT WAS OF CLEARING HAWKERS FROM CANTON ROAD SO AS TO MAKE THIS A FURTHER ARTERY. A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN ASSURED THE PLB ASSOCIATIONS THAT THIS ASPECT WAS STILL BEING LOOKED INTO, THOUGH THERE WERE PROBLEMS OF WHERE TO MOVE THE OLD-ESTABLISHED COOKED FOOD STALLS.
/AT THE WHITING