TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1982
TAC ENDORSES KMB ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
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THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TODAY ENDORSED THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY WHICH WILL REQUIRE THE COMPANY TO EXPAND ITS FLEET BY 200 NEW BUSES IN 1983. AND A FURTHER 140 BUSES IN 1984.
THE COMMITTEE ALSO AGREED TO CANCEL THE CENTRAL-TO-ME | FOO FERRY SERVICE FROM JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR.
THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, COVERING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF A FIVE-YEAR PROGRAMME, GENERALLY FOLLOWS THE MODERATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AS RECOMMENDED BY THE KMB OPERATION REVIEW SUB-GROUP.
A REPORT ANALYSING THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF KMB IMPLEMENTING THIS PLAN WAS CONSIDERED. IN THE LIGHT OF THE FINANCIAL FORECAST, THE NEED FOR A MODERATE FARES REVISION SOMETIME IN THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT YEAR SEEMS LIKELY.
VARIOUS OPTIONS TO DELAY THE FARE INCREASE WERE CONSIDERED, BUT IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT, OTHER THAN BY CUTTING BACK ON THE ROUTE DEVELOPMENT PLAN – AND THIS WOULD MEAN A DETERIORATION IN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC - SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED BY ANY OTHER MEANS.
THE REASON ADVANCED FOR CANCELLATION OF THE CENTRAL-TO-MEI FOO FERRY SERVICE WAS THE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF AN AVERAGE 76 PER CENT IN PATRONAGE FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE TSUEN WAN EXTENSION OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY. ATTEMPTS BY THE FERRY COMPANY TO KEEP THE SERVICE VIABLE, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF ORDINARY FERRY SAILINGS AND HOVERFERRIES AT LOWER FARES, HAVE FAILED TO ATTRACT MORE PASSENGERS.
IN AGREEING TO THE CANCELLATION, THE TAC NOTED THAT ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORT BETWEEN MEI FOO AND CENTRAL ARE AVAILABLE. MOREOVER, THE FOUR VESSELS IN USE, TWO HOVERFERRIES AND TWO DOUBLE-DECKERS, WOULD BE REDEPLOYED TO IMPROVE SERVICE ON OTHER ROUTES. AN ADDITIONAL BERTH IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT AREA WOULD ALSO BE RELEASED TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF FERRY OPERATIONS SERVING THE AREA.
A PEDESTRIAN PROBLEM SPOTS REVIEW COMPILED BY THE ROAD SAFETY DIVISION OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WAS CONSIDERED BY MEMBERS.
THIS LATEST ANNUAL REVIEW HAS SYSTEMATICALLY ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY PEDESTRIAN PROBLEMS ON SITE, GIVING PARTICULAR REGARD TO THE ACCIDENT SITUATION AS IT AFFECTS PEDESTRIANS. IMPROVEMENTS TO FACILITIES ARE AIMED MORE AT PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS, THAN AT REDUCTION OF CONFLICT BETWEEN TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS.
MEMBERS ALSO CONSIDERED AN INFORMATION PAPER ON THE RECENT BUS ACCIDENTS AND NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF BUS ACCIDENTS IN RECENT YEARS HAD NOT BEEN DISPROPORTIONATE TO THAT OF OTHER CAR ACCIDENTS,