(B) CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY
(1)
ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
TUESDA
THE SUB-GROUP'S BRIEF AIMED AT ASSESSING THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF VARIOUS RDP OPTIONS AND EVALUATING OPERATING ECONOMIES. IN CONSIDERING THE VARIOUS OPTIONS IT WAS NECESSARY TO EVALUATE THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE COST OF BUS SERVICES AND THE STANDARD OF SERVICES. THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC WERE PARTICULARLY SOUGHT ABOUT THE LATTER.
IMPLEMENTATION OF CMB'S 1980/82 RDP WAS FOUND TO BE BEHIND SCHEDULE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS CAUSED BY TRAFFIC CONGESTION, INSUFFICIENT DEPOT AND MAINTENANCE CAPACITY, SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS, AND SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICES REQUIRED WHEN THE MTR ISLAND LINE OPENS. THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WAS SEEN AS
UNSATISFACTORY BY PASSENGERS, ALTHOUGH OPERATIONS WERE NOTABLY COST-EFFECTIVE, OBVIATING THE NEED FOR SUBSTANTIAL FARE INCREASES IN 1982. IT APPEARS FROM THE FINDINGS OF THE SUB-GROUP THAT THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF BUSES EACH DAY. THE SUB-GROUP RECOGNISED THAT THE PROBLEM OF LOW VEHICLE AVAILABILITY WAS UNLIKELY TO BE SOLVED IN THE SHORT TERM AND THAT CMB'S RESOURCES SHOULD BE DEPLOYED IN THE MANNER BEST SUITED TO THE NEEDS OF THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC.
(11) BUS MAINTENANCE
THE SUB-GROUP FOUND THAT SHORTCOMINGS IN FLEET AVAILABILITY WERE LARGELY RELATED TO A NEED TO IMPROVE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND PROCEDURES. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THAT END HAVE BEEN MADE.
(111) BUS DEPOTS
THE SUB-GROUP ADOPTED AS ITS CRITERION THE 'MAXIMUM' DEPOT PROVISION, WHICH INVOLVED THE USE OF ACCEPTABLE TERMINI AS WELL AS PURPOSE-BUILT DEPOTS FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING. A FUTURE FLEET SIZE OF 1 400 BUSES UP TO 1991 WAS USED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. AT THE TIME THE REVIEW OF CMB'S DEPOT REQUIREMENTS STARTED THERE WAS A 40 PER CENT SHORTFALL OF PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY DEPOTS, AND AT ONE STAGE 25 PER CENT OF CMB'S FLEET WAS PARKED ON-STREET. THE ACCEPTANCE OF A NUMBER OF COVERED BUS TERMINI FOR USE AS OVERNIGHT PARKING, SUBJECT TO THE NECESSARY FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS, WILL PROVIDE OVERNIGHT PARKING SPACES FOR 700 BUSES, A MAJOR STEP IN SOLVING THE OVERNIGHT PARKING PROBLEM. THE PROVISION OF TERMINI SPACE FOR PARKING WILL SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE COSTS TO THE COMPANY, AND HENCE PRESSURE ON FARE LEVELS.
BY 1986 CMB SHOULD HAVE UP TO 1 000 PERMANENT DEPOT SPACES AVAILABLE AT CHAI WAN, NORTH POINT, WAH FU AND WONG CHUK HANG. ADDED TO THE 700 SPACES IN BUS TERMINI, THIS WILL EXCEED FORECAST REQUIREMENTS.
{TV} SPARE PARTS