WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16. "96/
6
BUT HE ADDED THAT SEVERAL AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED ON THE MAINTENANCE SIDE OF THE COMPANY'S OPERATIONS. THEY INCLUDE:
* REDUCING THE UNSATISFACTORY HIGH TURN-OVER OF KEY ENGINEERING
STAFF AND REMEDYING THE SHORTAGE OF PROPERLY QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED STAFF IN THE TOP AND MIDDLE RANK ENGINEER ING CATEGORIES.
* EXTENDING AND IMPROVING MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AT DEPOTS,
WHICH ARE CONGESTED AND LACK SUFFICIENT SPECIALISED TESTING EQUIPMENT. SUCH EQUIPMENT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF TESTING WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO BE DONE ON ROAD.
* IMPROVING SOME MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES WHICH ARE
UNSATISFACTORY. THESE INCLUDE DUCUMENTATION AND ROUTINE CHECKS, WHERE LACK OF SYSTEMS AND CONTROL CONTRIBUTE TO THE HIGH BREAKDOWN RATE. MORE ATTENTION MUST BE GIVEN TO TRAINING.
MR SCOTT DISCLOSED THAT GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY TAKEN ACTION IN SEVERAL WAYS.
HẸ CITED THE DEPOT SUB-GROUP OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE, OF WHICH MR CHEONG WAS A MEMBER AS BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSING THE LIKELY SIZE OF THE CMB FLEET UP TO 1991, DEVELOPING STANDARDS OF DEPOT ACCOMMODATION FOR PARKING AND MAINTENANCE, AND COSTING THE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES RECOMMENDED.
MR SCOTT EXPLAINED THAT THE MAIN CONSTRAINT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEPOTS FOR MAINTENANCE AND PARKING WERE THE COST OF LAND AND THE SHORTAGE OF LAND FOR NEW DEPOTS.
BUT HE ADDED THAT A SIGNIFICANT ADVANCE WAS MADE IN THE COURSE OF REVIEWING THE SITUATION WHEN IT WAS AGREED THAT A NUMBER OF OFF-STREET TERMINI COULD BE USED TO PROVIDE 700 OVERNIGHT PARKING SPACES BY 1985-1986.
+THE COMPANY'S FLEET IS PROJECTED TO REACH 1 200 BY THAT DATE. TOGETHER WITH SOME 700 SPACES AT CHAI WAN, WONG CHUK HANG AND A NEW DEPOT SITE AT WAH FU, THIS WOULD ENABLE ALL BUSES TO BE PARKED OFF-STREET BY 1985-86, + MR SCOTT SAID.
IF ALL SUITABLE TERMINI CAN BE USED FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING, ONE FURTHER MAJOR MULTI-STOREY DEPOT WILL BE NEEDED, HE SAID,
THE LANDS DEPARTMENT WAS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMPANY ON THIS POINT, AND A SITE IN WAH FU WAS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY, MR SCOTT DISCLOSED.