WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1979
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GOVERNMENT TO START REDEVELOPING AND IMPROVING
TRANSPORT SERVICES
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THE SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENT, THE HON, GRAHAM BARNES, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CAN NOW GO FORWARD WITH THE LONG TASK OF REDEVELOPING AND IMPROVING ITS TRANSPORT SERVICES WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE +NOW THAT WE HAVE GOT OUR BASIC IDEAS RIGHT.+
SPEAKING IN REPLY TO VARIOUS CRITICISMS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, MR. BARNES SAID THE FEELING WAS THAT THE CRITICISMS WERE POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IN HIS REPLY TO THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, MR. BARNES SAIDɛ
BUS SERVICES
EVEN IF CAR OWNERSHIP CONTINUES TO GROW AT ITS PRESENT RATE, SO WILL DEMAND FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT GROW BY ABOUT SEVEN PER CENT PER ANNUM. SO OUR TASK IS PERPETUALLY TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND QUALITY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO MEET GROWING DEMAND AND GROWING EXPECTATIONS OF SERVICE AND COMFORT.
THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE HAD OUR DIFFICULTIES WITH THE BUS COMPANIES WHO HAVE IN RECENT YEARS BEEN INCLINED AS CAUTIOUS BUSINESSMEN TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WILL BE BEFORE COMMITTING THEMSELVES TO ADDITIONAL BUS CAPACITY.
EACH YEAR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT PREPARES A BUS ROUTE AND BUS FLEET DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PROJECTED TWO YEARS AHEAD. THIS PROGRAMME TAKES INTO ACCOUNT NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING SERVICES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SERVICES.
IT HAS PROVED DIFFICULT FOR THE COMPANIES TO ACCEPT THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATES OF NEED AND THAT THE EFFECTS OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY SHOULD NOT INHIBIT THEIR PLACING OF ORDERS FOR NEW VEHICLES.
I BELIEVE THAT IN A RECENT PLANNING EXERCISE JOINTLY CARRIED OUT BY THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT OPERATORS, INCLUDING THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION, MANY OF THE DOUBTS CONCERNING FURTHER TRAFFIC HAVE BEEN RESOLVED AND THAT THE COMPANIES ARE PERSUADED THAT DESPITE THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, THE DEMAND FOR BUS SERVICES WILL CONTINUE TO GROW STEADILY OVER THE YEARS AHEAD.
BUT VALUABLE TIME HAS BEEN LOST, AND IT IS OPEN TO QUESTION WHETHER THE COMPANIES WILL HAVE, AT A SUFFICIENTLY EARLY DATE, THE RESOURCES TO COPE WITH ALL THE NEW ROUTES WHICH MUST BE STARTED AS WELL AS MAINTAINING AN ADEQUATE RATE OF IMPROVEMENT OF THE EXISTING SERVICES.
/IN THESE