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FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1981
THE LOWEST FARE ON CMB'S SUBURBAN ROUTES WILL ALSO BE RAISED FROM 50 CENTS TO 60 CENTS WHILE THE HIGHEST WILL GO UP FROM $1.50 TO $2.
THIS MEANS, FOR INSTANCE, THAT PASSENGERS TRAVELLING ON THE URBAN ROUTE FROM SHAU KEI WAN TO CLEVERLEY STREET WILL PAY 60 CENTS INSTEAD OF 50 CENTS AND THOSE FROM CHAI WAN TO WAN CHAI FERRY WILL PAY 80 CENTS INSTEAD OF 70 CENTS. THOSE TRAVELLING ON THE SUBURBAN ROUTE FROM WAH FU TO CENTRAL WILL PAY $1.30 INSTEAD OF $1.
FARES ON URBAN CROSS-HARBOUR ROUTES OPERATED BY BOTH COMPANIES WILL BE INCREASED FROM $1.50 TO $2. 'BEYOND THE TUNNEL' FARES ON THESE ROUTES WILL REMAIN AT $1.
STUDENT TRAVEL SCHEME
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT A NEW SCHEME OF STUDENT TRAVEL CONCESSIONS HAS BEEN APPROVED IN PRINCIPLE BY THE GOVERNOR- IN-COUNCIL. THIS SCHEME WOULD PROVIDE HALF-FARE TRAVEL FOR FULL-TIME STUDENTS AGED 12 AND OVER INCLUDING FIRST DEGREE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, AND WOULD APPLY TO TRAVEL ON ALL FRANCHISED MODES OF TRANSPORT AND THE MTR AND KCR. IT WOULD COVER TRAVEL ON MOST ROUTES WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS.
THE NEW SCHEME, WHICH IS SUBJECT TO DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS BEING WORKED OUT AND TO FINANCE COMMITTEE'S APPROVAL, WOULD COME INTO EFFECT IN SEPTEMBER 1981.
MEANWHILE, INTER IM ARRANGEMENTS WITH A VIEW TO EXTENDING THE EXISTING SCHEME ARE BEING DISCUSSED WITH THOSE OPERATORS NOT AT PRESENT TAKING PART IN IT. THE EXISTING SCHEME COVERS TRAVEL FOR FULLTIME SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL ON MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS ONLY (EXCLUDING PUBLIC AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS), USUALLY BETWEEN 7 AM AND 7 PM.
ON THE KMB AND CMB APPLICATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE COMPANIES SUBMITTED THESE LAST YEAR FOR AN UPWARD REVISION IN FARES AVERAGING 100 PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
THE NEW FARES ARE REQUIRED TO MEET INCREASED OPERATING COSTS FOR FUEL, WAGES, MAINTENANCE AND SPARE PARTS FOR THE EXISTING FLEET AS WELL AS FOR THE EXPANSION IN SERVICES. IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT THE CAPITAL COSTS OF EXPANSION, SUCH AS THE PURCHASE OF NEW BUSES, ARE MET BY THE COMPANIES' SHAREHOLDERS OR BY BORROWING, NOT FROM OPERATING REVENUE.
+ IN ITS CONSIDERATION OF THE APPLICATIONS THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THAT THE BUS COMPANIES SHOULD ULTIMATELY OPERATE AT A LEVEL OF PROFITABILITY WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A VITAL PUBLIC SERVICE WHICH CARRIED A TOTAL OF 3.4 MILLION PASSENGERS A DAY AND TO MAKE A REASONABLE RETURN ON THE IR ASSETS, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN