FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1979
6
AS FOR ROUTE NO. 10. THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT ALSO SUFFERED
OBSERVATIONS THE SAME PROBLEMS SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED IN APRIL. CARRIED OUT BY TRANSPORT INSPECTORS IN JUNE REVEALED THAT THE AVERAGE DAILY PASSENGER TRAFFIC WAS ONLY FOUR PASSENGERS PER TRIP.
PEAK HOUR JOURNEYS FROM TSIM SHA TSUI IN THE EVENINGS WERE INVARIABLY FULL BUT AT MOST OTHER TIMES ONLY A HANDFUL OF PASSENGERS TRAVELLED.
THE TIMETABLE WAS NOT ADHERED TO THUS LEADING TO SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM INTENDING PASSENGERS AND LOSS OF TRAFFIC.
ALTHOUGH PASSENGER TRAFFIC BUILT UP STEADILY FROM 211 A DAY IN APRIL TO 318 IN AUGUST, THE DAILY REVENUE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN ECONOMIC OPERATION.
THE ROUTE WAS ALSO MODIFIED ON SEPTEMBER 15 TO IMPROVE PATRONAGE, BUT THE CHANGES WERE INEFFECTIVE.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT EVEN IF FARES WERE DOUBLED, THE SERVICE WAS NOT LIKELY TO PROVE VIABLE.
HE SAID THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PASSENGERS WERE CAR OWNERS AND WHILST THE SERVICE PROBABLY REMOVED ABOUT 200 CAR TRIPS A DAY FROM PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC FLOWS, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT OFF-PEAK TRAFFIC TO JUSTIFY THE CONTINUATION OF THE SERVICE.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE LOOKING INTO THIS SERVICE LATER ON WITH A VIEW TO REVIVING IT.
-
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR JULY
****
THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR JULY SHOW A DEFICIT OF $263.3 MILLION COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $396.1 MILLION IN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR.
THIS HAS RESULTED IN AN ACCUMULATED DEFICIT OF $16.9 MILLION FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $25.4 MILLION FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
TOTAL EXPENDITURE IN JULY, AT $946.4 MILLION, WAS $78 MILLION MORE THAN IN JULY, 1978.
TOTAL REVENUE AND RECEIPTS, AT $683.1 MILLION, WERE $210.8 MILLION MORE THAN FOR THE SAME MONTH IN 1978.
17
+